


So I Woke Up Feeling New

by loonyBibliophile



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: And fitz and simmons are cute, Everyone is a youtube vlogger, F/M, youtube au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-02-04 10:29:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 26,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1775839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonyBibliophile/pseuds/loonyBibliophile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz live over three hundred miles apart, at different universities in different countries. Neither of them knows the other exists, until some of Simmons' fans insist she watch Fitz's Doctor Who videos. </p><p>It's about the last way she ever expected to make a friend. But she is grateful all the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jemma Simmons, nineteen year old biochemistry student at Oxford University, rolled out of bed with a grunt. Literally rolled out of bed, falling to her floor as her phone buzzing startled her out of a light sleep. Really, she should have been up ages ago, she didn’t like to make a habit of sleeping in, even on Sundays, but she’d been up late due to some trouble uploading a video. 

Since secondary school, Simmons had kept up an account on youtube, mostly just her talking about science as a way to reach out to people more on her level about the subject. Occasionally though, like last night, she posted something prattling on about pop culture. Her latest video was a contribution to the many feminist critiques of the recent Doctor Who season. 

Sitting up, she fumbled for her phone, which was still ringing. She assumed they were angry comments on her video. Pulling the cord on her desk lamp, she lit the room and unlocked the phone, eyes skimming messages as she pulled herself to her feet. 

"Eugh, all this can wait a moment." she mumbled to herself, shoving her phone in the waistband of her pajama pants and padding into the kitchenette of her dorm room. Fumbling through the cabinets, she pulled out a mug and filled her ceramic kettle, putting water on for tea, and dropped two halves of a bagel in a toaster. Content that her breakfast was on its way to completion, she sat down on the counter and pulled her phone out again. 

To her surprise, most of the comments were not scathing reviews of her opinion or even comments agreeing with what she’d said. They were links to another video, mostly excited statements about how they hadn’t known she loved Doctor Who, and did she know the content creator monkeywrenches, with a link to a video he’d done. The sheer volume of people linking her the same video piqued her curiosity. So once her water was boiled so she could steep her tea and her bagel was toasted and covered in chive cream cheese, she walked into the living area and opened her laptop. 

Her screen was soon filled by a young man with a Scottish accent, waving a sonic screwdriver around as a laser pointer while he explained the logistics possibly involved in various aspects of the TARDIS’ inner workings. The kid was smart, witty too. When the video finished, Simmons scrolled through some of his others, finally clicking on a video raising awareness for endangered Peruvian monkeys. After she watched a few more videos, she navigated her way back to the TARDIS video and typed up a comment.

_NotHermione: A few of my subscribers linked me your video after discovering my love of Who and so I ended up here! I agree, Tom Baker is by far the best Doctor, though I must also admit a certain fondness for David Tennant. Anyway, while engineering isn’t my area of expertise, I am a scientist, and this was wonderful to watch! You’re very witty and I’ll be keeping my eye on you!_

She hit the subscribe button on his channel with a nod, and then set about finishing her breakfast. 

Several hours north of Oxford University, Leo Fitz was staring, slack jawed and half asleep, at his laptop. Scattered on his desk were blue prints, empty mugs, and crisp wrappers. He’d accidentally stayed up the entire night and well into the morning researching study abroad programs for the next semester. His email beeped at him, sounding almost irate, and startled him out of his stupor. 

"Wha- oh, comment. Cool." he mumbled to himself, scrubbing at his eyes with one hand as he used the other to open the link in the message. His eyes skimmed the words quickly and he smiled. He loved when he got comments from other people who seemed into science. Clicking through to her username, he found the video with all the comments with his link on it and watched it, hand searching blindly for the one mug that still contained tea. He smiled his way through the video. The young British girl was incredibly cheerful, Fitz probably would have listened to her read the phonebook. He watched a few other videos too, including one about the chemistry of Harry Potter potions, true to her username. Steeling himself, as he was not so good with people, he replied to her comment. 

_MonkeyWrenches: Thanks so much! I’ve just spent a bit leafing through your videos and I must say it’s nice to encounter a fellow science fiend. Though our areas differ I’m sure if we put out heads together we’d have a lot to talk about. Feel free to shoot me a DM if you ever want to strike up a conversation._

Three hundred and sixty miles away, Jemma Simmons’ phone buzzes again, and she smiles as she reads the message, already opening her inbox to type up a message to the Scot. 


	2. Chapter 2

"So who else do you chat with, in the community I mean?" Simmons glanced up from her notebook, where she was copying over her chemistry notes in neater writing so she could annotate and color code them to study from later as she asked her friend, sitting on the other side of her computer screen. Fitz shrugged. 

"Umm, not many people really. Even on the internet I’m a bit anti-social." he chuckled, shrugging again. "I suppose I talk to Skye, err, hacktivist084? Do you know her? She talks about computers and privacy laws and stuff? I suppose we’re sort of friends." 

"Oh, the American girl who vlogs from her van, right? I’ve seen some of her stuff, yeah. She’s friends with Ward right? Or, um, muscularmutt? The fitness guy who talks about dogs a lot?"

"Yeah, I think so." 

"What about JustOneTripplet?"

"Simmons, everyone knows Trip. Or, everyone I know does anyway."

"Well he’s very nice so that makes sense. Easy on the eyes too." Simmons giggled and Fitz rolled his eyes. 

"I swear, Jemma, if you start babbling on about cute boys I will disconnect this call and you will have to code your notes in peace without the aid of my babbling." he shook his finger at his camera. 

"Oh, now that’s a fate I can’t bear.” she rolled her eyes back and looked up form her notes, scrolling down her screen for a minute. 

"So how’re your classes going?"

"Dull, mostly. I mean, I enjoy school, don’t misinterpret me, but it can be a bit… rudimentary. I’m looking into taking extra classes to graduate even earlier and transfer to a graduate school. I need to get started on my PHD after all. Since I’m going to need two of them." 

"Ugh, yes, I know how you feel. Plus being a few years younger than the other students is kind of a drag, no one ever wants to do anything with me. And while I do study a lot it would be nice to have a social life sometimes. Where are you looking into graduate school?"

"Yes, exactly! And in all likelihood, somewhere in America. MIT or CalPoly. MIT being my first choice, of course."

"Well yeah, of course. Isn’t it everyone’s?"

"Everyone like us, at any rate." 

"Please, Simmons." Fitz said jokingly, squaring his shoulders "There’s no one like us." he grinned, lopsided and genuine, and Simmons laughed, returning the smile. 

After reaching out to each other over their Doctor Who videos, the two scientists had struck up a fast friendship. Having both graduated from school two years early and gone into university young, they had a lot in common, including that they didn’t have much in common with anyone else. They’d fallen into an easy routine of sitting on Skype while they worked on homework assignments. Their blossoming internet friendship had not escaped the eyes of their mutual friends and subscribers 

They even called each other out in their videos, discussing mutual ideas for projects, sharing relevant opinions on certain topics and anything else you’d expect from a pair of friends. As weeks passed by and their friendship cemented itself, they gained a nickname from all the people who knew of both of them. Fitzsimmons. 

"I can’t believe you and this dude got a nickname. That’s hilarious." Skye tucked an unruly piece of hair behind her ear as she minimized the tinychat screen, where Trip and Simmons’ face both rolled their eyes. 

"Oh please, it’s no big deal, you know how people are on the internet."

"We should add him to the chat group though, I like Fitz. He’s cool people."

"I agree. I could use a dose of testosterone, spending all my virtual time with you two. No offense, of course." Trip added in, over the sound of his rapid typing.

"What have you even been typing that quickly for this entire conversation?" Skye asked, maximizing the window after being satisfied with the code she was writing. 

"I got a paper to do, man. Not all of us are crazy geniuses like Simmons." 

"You’re hardly an academic slouch, Trip. Is Ward coming this evening?"

"No, he’s got krav maga or some shit like that tonight." Skye rolled her eyes and tapped out a message on her phone. "Simmons, send our little monkey boy a chat invite." 

"Oh, fine, but no one make a fuss." Simmons pulled up her account page and messaged Fitz, sending him a link to the chat and entreating him to join her, Skye and Trip for their weekly video chat. After some hemming and hawing, the engineering student gave in and was rewarded by a barrage of emoticons. 

"So is he coming?"

"Yes, he said he needs to move from the living room so he doesn’t bother his roommate, and then he’ll connect to the chat." Just as she spoke, a username added itself to the guest list. "Speak of the devil." Simmons said with a smile. 

"Uh, hello." a shy Scottish accent piped up a few moments later, waving awkwardly.

"Hello, Fitz." Simmons said brightly, grinning. 

"Hey, welcome to the party." Skye smirked, nodding the neck of the beer bottle she’d acquired at some point towards him. Fitz nodded awkwardly back. 

"Hey man, what’s up?" Trip smiled easily, inclining his head towards Fitz. 

"Er, hi, everyone. Trip and Skye and Je-Simmons." 

"Oh man, do you call Simmons by her first name? I didn’t know people could do that without getting, what’s the word… eviscerated? Is that when someone rips out your guts?"

"Skye, I told you not to make a fuss. I knew this was a bad idea without Ward in here to keep a leash on you.” Simmons stuck her tongue out. 

"Please, if anything Skye keeps a leash on him." Trip added, before immediately groaning and backspacing several lines of type. "Man, I am good at a lot of things but that doesn’t mean I enjoy them all and literary theory is on the list of things I do not enjoy."

"If it makes you feel any better, I have to write a twenty page paper on particle theory. Even I don’t like work that much.” Fitz scrubbed a hand through his hair self consciously. 

"Fitz, no one here bites, talk all you want." Simmons offered gently, smiling at him.

"Except Ward. Ward bites." Skye grinned devilishly. "Oh, wait, I have to screencap this. A meeting of the minds. Hacktivist084, JustOneTriplett, NotHermione and MonkeyWrenches all in one chatroom. I bet we could take over the world with Ward’s added muscle. Everyone make a funny face." She dragged her screencap app around the chat window, waiting for everyone to assume their positions. Trip stuck his fingers in the corners of his mouth and pulled, sticking his tongue out. Fitz scrunched his eyes closed and made a growling face, while Simmons made a fish face, complete with handgills. Skye simply stuck out her tongue, then snapped the screencap. 

"Perfect! I’m totally tagging this as Fitzsimmons and you can’t stop me."

"Oh god." Simmons groaned, resting her head in her hands.

"Simmons, I think we’ve created a monster." Fitz said playfully, raising his eyebrows. Skye laughed. 

"You have NO idea." 

After that, Fitz became a regular fixture in the weekly tinychats, even managing to strike up a friendship with notoriously surly Ward. Life went on normally, for the most part, until Fitz came into a bit of a windfall after a particularly successful gadget patent of his got bought up by Stark Industries. Bubbling over with his good news, he texted Simmons. 

Hey, Jem. I need to talk to you. Seriously. Skype tonight?

Hearing the buzz as she walked from a lecture to her dorm, she pulled out her phone and smiled. 

Sure. I’ll be home in five. 

A few minutes later, she dropped her bag at the door and headed to her room after grabbing a roll of biscuits to munch on. Plopping into her desk chair, she logged into Skype and immediately it began ringing at her, Fitz’s picture blinking on her screen. 

"Hey, what’s the big hurry?" she said with a laugh after answering. 

"Stark Industries bought the patent for one of my prototypes." 

"Oh my god! Leo, that’s amazing." 

"I know. I think I stopped breathing for a few seconds when I got the call. I haven’t told anyone yet, not even my mum. I wanted to tell you first, because I had an idea." 

"Oh, Fitz! I’m flattered! What’s your idea?"

"I want to come visit you for break. I thought it might be nice to hang out in person. If that’s uh, alright with you. I know that’s normally a thing long distance couples do, but I mean, you’re my best friend so I thought, you know, since i have the money now-" 

"Leo, Leo, oh my god, stop babbling. I would love for you to come see me!” 

"Well, then that’s that." 

Within the day, Fitz had booked a flight from Glasgow Airport to Heathrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Airports, Fitz decides almost immediately after passing through security in Glasgow, are terrible, and next time he goes to visit Simmons in England, he is taking a train. He says as much in a message to Simmons, accompanied by an annoyed looking picture of him standing in his terminal. Airplanes, however, are great. Fitz loves anything that flies. 

When the plane lands at Heathrow and he turns his phone on, it immediately lights up with dozens of messages, mostly teasing messages from Skye and Trip, and a few texts from Simmons consisting of nothing but exclamation points. Knowing he would receive nothing but badgering from his friends unless he told them all at once where he was, he took a picture of the outside of his window and snapchatted it to the group, with the caption ‘The monkey has landed’ attached to it. 

When he saw the mass of people in baggage claim, he was very very glad he had only brought a carryon. Nerves crawled into his throat as he looked around the crowded arrivals gate for Simmons. She spotted him first, and he turned when he heard his name.

"Fitz!! Leo!!" she waved excitedly and started rushing towards him, only to skid awkwardly to a halt a few feet away, suddenly over taken by nerves. Simmons stared at him expectantly, rocking on her toes. Fitz grinned and managed to work up the courage to jog the few extra feet. 

"Hey Jemma." he said breathlessly, his cheeks flushed with color. The shorter girl held herself back for a moment before engulfing Fitz in a hug, which he returned with gusto. 

"Oh my goodness, it’s SO good to see you. I mean, actually see you, in person. You’re taller than I imagined, I always thought we were exactly the same height!" 

"You’re.." Fitz fumbled for a moment, because the first thing that it occurred to him to say was ‘stunning’ but that seemed inappropriate, so he shook his head "You’re shorter than I imagine, so I guess we’re even." he stuck out his tongue and Simmons laughed, a sound he instantly decided was much better in person. 

"Now, I promise to fend off anyone who takes issue with me dragging a Scot around." she said playfully, ribbing him gently with her elbow. 

"Ah yes, I’m sure the protection of a wee English girl shorter than I am will be of great help to me." 

"You pig!" she shouted, but she was laughing and there was a smile in her eyes. "Oh! We’ve got to take a picture, Skye will never let me live if we don’t." She stopped him from walking and pulled out her phone, then leaned up to throw an arm around his shoulders. "Cheese!" she grinned, and he rolled his eyes but obliged. He stared down over her shoulder as she typed up the caption. 

_met up with @monkeywrenches at heathrow! #fitzsimmons #partners in crime!_

 

 _“_ Must you really indulge her by using that silly nickname?”

"Hey! I like the nickname." 

"Yeah yeah, alright. So what’s the plan for today?" he slips an arm around her waist. He panics internally, and almost pulls it away when her back stiffens, but almost immediately she relaxes again. He tries not to think too hard about it, they aren’t romantically involved, but neither of them are around people much, and the contact is welcome on both ends. 

"Well, I was thinking we’d go to my dorm, so you can drop off your bag„ and then just walk around? I can show you what’s around, even if it isn’t much since it’s a university town. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, actually. Food sounds good, as does dropping off my bag and walking around." 

"We’ll have to make a video or two together while you’re here. Some silly challenge or something. Wouldn’t that be fun?"

"Well yeah, that’s a give in." he said with a chuckle. "S’how we met after all." he offered her a fond smile and, not for the first time, Simmons wondered if she had not gotten herself into a world of trouble by befriending this boy. 

After they dropped by Simmons’ dorm, depositing Fitz’s bag on her bedroom floor, Simmons escorted him to a pub down the street she ate lunch at a lot. Inevitably, one of the regular waitresses pestered her about her male companion. 

"Jemma! Did you finally find yourself a young man?" the older woman batted her eyelashes and Fitz almost choked on his water. 

"No! We’re just friends, he’s visiting me from out of town. This is Fitz." SImmons rolled her eyes. "Now, if you can control your fussing, I’d like to order." 

After the pair had successfully ordered lunch with minimal teasing from the waitress, they passed the time in silence, still figuring out how hanging out in person worked. 

"I’m sorry about Georgie." Simmons finally said, smiling apologetically. "I come in here a lot and since I’m young, some of the staff are a bit… maternal."

"Oh trust me, I’m used to it. If you ever are in Scotland and have the misfortune to meet my aunt, you will know true agony." Fitz smirked. "I told her I was visiting a friend and that you were a girl and I swear, she about had a spontaneous aneurism."

"I didn’t actually tell my folks you were visiting. My father is a bit… Strange, I suppose? About me because I’m so ‘mature’ for my age, and it honestly seemed more trouble than it was worth." she shrugged, and her eyes seemed sad for a second, but Fitz knew her well enough not to push it, and buried a strange impulse to cover her hand with his. 

"Family’s difficult." he said with a nod, and that was all they had time for before they were both presented with heaping plates of food. An hour or so later, both full nearly to bursting, they left the pub in a fit of giggles, Fitz’s arm fit comfortably around Simmons’ waist again. 

"So I thought maybe tomorrow we could get up early, take the train to London? it would be a shame for you not to see the city while you’re here."

"Sure. Although I warn you. I’m not big on crowds." 

"It’s alright, neither am I. I’m sure between the two of us we’ll make it out alright." 

"So what should we do filming wise? Do you wanna do a silly aroudn town travel video?"

"Oh! That’s a great idea, I hadn’t thought of that. I was thinking we could do that silly face painting challenge? The one where you put your arms through the person’s shirt? Skye suggested and while I generally avoid humoring her, it does look rather amusing."

"Oh god, that’s going to be such a mess. But why not, I suppose." 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have all been so wonderful and sweet in the comments! It is so very appreciated and you are all so very lovely! I hope you enjoy this new chapter and I hope you all have fabulous days! <3

  
"So what’s first on the agenda?" Fitz asked sleepily, slumped over Simmons’ kitchen counter, staring at the kettle as they both waited for it to boil. Fitz had never been a morning person. Simmons on the other hand, was bright eyed and wide awake, setting to work almost immediately on scrambling some eggs. 

"Well, I was thinking before the tourist crowds got completely dreadful, we’d go up in the Eye, it really is a great way to see the city. I’m partial to the London Aquarium, but I’m not sure what your feelings on fish are. Walk along the Thames for a bit, grab a bite to eat, maybe go to the British museum?"

"I’m just gonna say that sounds good, since I’m sure you know more about it than I do." 

Simmons smiled and pulled two pieces of bread from the loaf, sliding them into the toaster. After sliding the eggs onto plates, she opened the fridge. 

"Do you want jam or anything? Or just butter?"

"Depends on the jam, I suppose."

"I have blackberry, strawberry and I have marmalade." 

"Strawberry jam, please." 

After a quick breakfast, and making sure Fitz has his camera and Simmons had a spare, the two walked to the tube station and made their way into London. Fitz pulled his camera out and flipped the recording feature on. He turned it to face himself. 

"Well, I’m in London, with the lovely miss nothermione, also known as Simmons." he turned the camera for a moment and Simmons waved, grinning. "And we are heading to the London Eye, which is essentially a very very tall ferris wheel. An engineering marvel, but I am terrified of heights, so we’ll see how this goes." 

The two filed into line, shutting off the camera until they got on, and waited, shuffling forward slowly until they were seated in one of the capsules. Fitz’s knuckles clutched white on the edge of the seat, and Simmons shook her head, smiling and easy his fingers loose, then patting his hands affectionately. 

"Fitz, silly, you’re an engineer, I’m sure you looked this thing up and know it’s perfectly sound." 

"Simmons, silly, you’re a doctor and should know phobias are not based in rational thought." 

"Hush up and look outside." she slapped his arm lightly and he turned, then pulled out his camera. 

"It  _is_  a nice view.” he admitted, turning the power on and recording. “This is the view from the top of the London Eye.” he said into the camera, before aiming it on the world below, panning it around. “And this is the view from the seat of the London Eye.” he said with a grin, turning the camera on Simmons, who was staring happily out of the window. “Equally enjoyable, I think, wouldn’t you agree?”

"Fitz!" she chided, but she grinned and her cheeks flushed pink. 

"Oh, come now, I’m allowed to tell my best friend she’s pretty." he grinned, crookedly, and turned the camera down onto the other riders, rotating slowly around the wheel. The he looked into it again. "I swear, if I get a bunch of comments on this video that just say ‘omg sherlock!!!’, heads will roll." 

"Fitz, is that expression supposed to be threatening? You look like an angry terrier." she stuck her tongue out and Fitz rolled his eyes, turning the camera off and stashing it in preparation for them reaching the bottom of the wheel and getting off. They stepped off, and Fitz flung an arm around Simmons’ shoulders, only to be tapped gently from behind by a woman about the age of his mother. 

"I’m sorry, dears, I just wanted to tell you that you make a lovely couple." the woman smiled softly.

"I, oh, uh, no, we’re not-" Fitz stammered and shook his head rapidly. 

"He means to say we’re not together, just good friends. Thank you though, ma’am." Simmons smiled and inclined her head politely before dragging Fitz away, blushing. 

"Well." Fitz said into his camera, making sure to lean the camera over so Simmons was in frame. "Simmons and I have just been mistaken for a couple for the second time since I got here yesterday. Perhaps we should keep a tally. Yesterday it was a woman in a pub, today it was a woman getting off the eye."

"Well I’m sure Skye will have a field day. Or seven. A whole week of field days. Now, to the aquarium!" Simmons said triumphantly, dragging Fitz by the wrist towards the Thames and pointing purposefully into the distance. 

The pair passed a few hours in the aquarium, wandering through all the exhibits while Simmons prattled on about all the different species of fish and different types of marine habitats. She took a video of Fitz in the touch pool area, forcing him to pet a sea cucumber and making sure to get plenty of coverage of his ridiculous faces. 

They ate lunch in a cafe, just sandwiches and crisps, before heading quickly to the museum to walk around before it closed. They didn’t have much time, sicne they’d spent so long in the aquarium, so they vowed to come back the next day and do a few more things, like visit the Tate and the London Dungeon. By the time the museum closed, they were exhausted from the early start to the day and spending it on their feet. Fitz took a short video of the train ride home, mostly of the scenery out of the window and Simmons snoozing on his shoulder. 

"Wanna order in for dinner?" Simmons asked, yawning as she slumped onto the sofa. She pulled open her laptop and smiled as she scrolled through Skye, Ward and Trip’s comments on the photos she’d posted from the day, along with a few comments from subscribers she wasn’t close with. 

"Yeah, sure." he dropped down beside her, putting his chin on her shoulder to watch her computer screen. They scrolled through a few take out menus before settling on an order and calling it in, then changing into pajamas while they waited for the delivery. 

After the food came, they laid it out in the coffee table and tucked in, with a movie playing on low in the background, so as to not disturb Simmons’ sleeping roommate in the other room. After they ate dinner, they passed out early on the sofa, only awoken the next morning by the alarm on Simmons’ phone, causing her to jolt from the sofa, where she’d been curled on top of Fitz. They both flushed deep red and elected to never speak of it to anyone. Especially Skye. 


	5. Chapter 5

"Why, just why, did I let you tell me that was a good idea?" Fitz frowned deeply as he walked out of the London Dungeon, with an equally unhappy Simmons attached firmly to his waist. 

"Honestly, I don’t know why  _I_  thought that was a good idea. I assumed since I hadn’t done that since I was a child it would all seem rather silly now, but that was terrifying.” 

"Yes, I’m aware, you were practically sitting in my lap on that last drop ride." 

"I’m sorry, it was just… scary, it was not that scary when I was little, they must have updated it."

"Aye, no need to be sorry, I was terrified too. Just don’t tell anyone I scream like a girl." 

"As long as you don’t tell anyone I turn into a clinging child when frightened, we’ve got a deal." 

Fitz and Simmons’ second day in London was briefer than the previous day, mostly consisting of the complete dungeon tour, a brief stop at the Tate Modern, and then another trip through the British museum. It was just barely past lunchtime when they took a train back into Oxford. 

"So we should run to the convenience store. We need to pick up something to throw on my dorm’s floor and some paint and maybe some baggy shirts so we don’t muck up our clothes when we film tomorrow." Simmons said, looking up at Fitz as they walked down the street, his elbow crooked through her arms. 

"Sounds like a plan. Your roommate is going to think we’re bonkers, you know that right?"

"I’m pretty sure she already thinks I’ve completely lost it, so I’m not sure how much it matters at this point." Simmons laughed and steered Fitz expertly towards a nearby store. 

"What colors do we want?"

"I don’t know, the basic ones? Red, blue yellow? Maybe the secondaries?"

"How about this?" she picked up a package of kid’s nontoxic finger paints, in red, blue, yellow, orange, pink and purple. 

"Looks good to me." Fitz shrugged, looking around for something to function as a dropcloth. "We could cover your floor with this plastic tablecloth?" he held it up and waved it around. 

"Sure, grab it."  she wandered away to the aisle of random clothes, the kind of things tourists in emergency situations picked up. "Hey, what about these?" she held up an oversized shirt, that read ‘Someone in England loves me!" in bright red lettering, above a graphic of the Union Jack.

"That’s awful. Let’s get it."

The cashier gave them a strange look that they both just answered with a shrug and then contentedly ran home with their purchases. 

Simmons’ roommate observed her strangely, looking them up and down.

"Do I  _want_ to know? _"_ she asked. 

"No." they said in unison. "Probably not." they shrugged. 

"I’m gonna go out for awhile then." she said with a nob before grabbing her bag and exiting the dorm. 

"Are you ready for this?" Simmons squared her jaw and put her hands on her hips, staring Fitz down in mock-seriousness. 

"Oh. I’m ready." he grinned broadly and shook the tablecloth out dramatically. 

Simmons grinned back and pulled two plastic chairs over, setting them up on the cloth, and then put the paint and tshirt nearby. Meanwhile, Fitz was setting his camera up on a tripod, set just off of the cloth.  He turned record on and sat down on one of the chairs, where Simmons was already seated. 

"Hullo, Youtube!" she said brightly. "I’m Simmons." 

"And I’m Fitz." 

"Normally, Fitz and I make videos about serious science type things. But today, we are going to paint each other’s faces!" Simmons grinned broadly and clapped a few times for emphasis. "Shall we ro sham bo for who goes first?" She turned sideways and held out a fist. Fitz followed suit, pulling scissors to Simmons’ rock. "I win! So I get to cover you in paint first." her grin was devilish. 

"I’m going to regret this." he said straight into the camera. 

"So we don’t much everything up, we have picked up this delightful shirt at a corner shop." she held up the union jack shirt and Fitz rolled his eyes. 

"I’m going to have hell to pay when I get back to Scotland, I just know it." 

"I’m just claiming you for the superior country, that’s all. Now put it on!" she tossed the shirt into his face. 

"Don’t girls normally scream ‘Take it off!’ at boys when clothes are being tossed around?" he smiled cheekily but pulled the shirt over his short sleeved button up. It hung off him like a dress. Simmons snickered. 

"Oh, you are a sight, Leo Fitz!" 

"Hush up and tell me what awful thing you’re going to do to me, woman." he grouched, but there was a laugh in his voice. 

"Well," Simmons said, as she bustled around opening paint and setting them on the spare chair before crouching behind Fitz. "Once I shove my arms through your sleeves," She raised an eyebrow and waited for Fitz to pull his arms in and replaced them with hers. "I am going to make you into your national animal." Her voice was full of mirth. 

"Oh god no." Fitz groaned, leaning his head back in defeat, only to have it knock into Simmons’ shoulder, leaving his head tucked under her chin. She started moving quickly. "Oh, gosh, um, sorry, Jem." he babbled, his face quickly turning bright red. After a moment of silence Simmons recovered, shaking her head. 

"That’s right, I am going to make Fitz into a beautiful unicorn. A very sloppy unicorn, since I can’t see him, but ah well. That’s the fun isn’t it?" she reached up to his hair and mussed it, causing Fitz to roll his eyes slightly but smile. 

"I already regret all my life choices that led me to this point." 

"Oh, no you don’t. Now hush while I paint you pink." Simmons dunked her fingers into pink paint and smeared it unceremoniously over his face, causing Fitz to splutter. 

"That is COLD." he grumbled loudly. 

"You’re a big strong man, Fitz, you’ll live." 

"Well, I suppose if I don’t, you have some medical training. You’ll just have to resuscitate me." Fitz was silent for a minute as he realized hwo that sounded. "Oh, bloody hell, I.. I didn’t mean. Oh, you know what I meant."

Simmons laughed and patted his face as she continued smearing pink onto his forehead.

"Now for a nose." she said, clearly delighted with herself as she selected the purple and smeared a dot onto Fitz’s nose, spreading it up the bridge. She went to lean over for more pink, but only succeeded in nearly knocking them both over, and the ensuing laughter planted them both on the ground.

"Jemma, for the love of god, help me up!"

"I can’t Leo, I’m stuck!" she laughed, trying to pull them both up without getting paint everywhere. She eventually succeeded, but only after plating a pink handprint in Fitz’s hair. "That’s a good look for you." she snickered.

"I’m going to get you back so damn good when it’s my turn."

"I’d like to see you try." she taunted, but the threat was followed by an awkward silence and strained laughter as the two realized just how close their faces had become. "um. Now then! Horn! Time for your beautiful unicorn horn." She swiped a purple triangle onto his forehead and strained herself around to look at his face. "Awww, Fitz! You’re adorable. if you weren’t covered in paint I’d pinch your cheeks!"

"I hate you so much." he mumbled, but he was laughing. "Now get out of my shirt, you dirty old englishman, it’s my turn now. For Scotland!" he hollered, nearly knocking them over again as he tried to force Simmons out of the shirt. She rolled her eyes but pulled her arms out, but not before intentionally smearing paint across Fitz’s neck.

"Do your worst." she said with a laugh before pulling the shirt on.

"Now, future viewers, you will see a true artist at work." he smirked at the camera.

"Oh, now  _that’s_  not arrogant at all.” Simmons snorted. 

"Watch in amazement as I turn my lovely assistant here into…. A robot!"

"Oh dear, I should have expected this. As long as I’m not a Cyberman, I suppose.

"Oh Jemma dear, never a Cyberman, how could I enjoy making you irritated all the time if you had no feelings?"

"You sound like a supervillain. Should I be concerned?" she cocked her head, not realizing how close Fitz was and brushed her nose into his cheek. "Oh, um, hello there." she stammered. 

"I, yes, Hi. Hello. Wow we’re quite close aren’t we?" Fitz laughed nervously and shifted back, grabbing the blue paint. He ignored the fleeting thought in his head that he could simply drop the paint and kiss her, paint on his face not withstanding. But that would be irresponsible. instead, he covered his hand in paint and smeared it unceremoniously all over her face.

"Oh, bloody hell, that is cold. You were not lying." she made a face as paint got on her lips, scrunching her nose up. Once her face was blue, he reached for the yellow. 

"Yeah, see? Not much fun is it?" he stuck out his tongue and poked her face, leaving yellow dots dripping unevenly on her cheeks. 

"Oh please, you’re enjoying yourself as much as I am." 

"Yeah, yeah I am." he said with a chuckle, before drawing a messy yellow line down her face. 

They finally wrapped up the video, several minutes later, both having been dumped onto the floor again and covered in paint, laughing hysterically. After toweling his hands off, Fitz turned off the camera and flopped back on the floor, where Simmons was still laid out. 

"Come here." she said, holding her phone out. He leaned down beside her and she tucked her head into his shoulder and stuck out her tongue, waiting for him to follow suit, and then snapped a picture. He watched her type out the caption, smiling to himself. 

_getting down and dirty with @monkeywrenches! can’t wait to show you guys why we’re covered in paint! #fitzsimmons #collab_

"Are you trying to tease Skye with that caption?" Fitz rolled his eyes. 

"Yes, absolutely." Simmons grinned. She watched her phone, waiting for comments from their friends to roll in. Sure enough, her phone buzzed just a few moments later. 

_@hacktivist084 omg!!! i cannot believe what i am seeing! you two better spill!_

_@justonetriplett this is the funniest shit i have seen in weeks._

_@musclemutt Why are all of my friends children? But no, this is pretty fuckin’ funny._

_“_ Just wait until the see the whole video.” Fitz laughed. 

"We’ll have to make them watch it on chat with us, I want to see Skye’s face while she watches it." Simmons said with a gri, leaning her head back on Fitz’s shoulder. "This was fun." she said quietly. 

"Yeah, yeah it was." They were both silent for a moment before Fitz shifted onto his side. "I’m gonna miss you when I go back in two days." 

"Oh, Leo. I’m gonna miss you too." Simmons said softly, frowning slightly. She reached over and put her hand over his, entwining their paint covered fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the video they do seems familiar, it's because I drew inspiration from a video by Tyler Oakley and Troye Sivan!


	6. Chapter 6

"We’re going to regret this in three hours, I guarantee it." Simmons says gravely the next day, staring at the table in front of them. She and Fitz are seated on the floor of her living room, with her camera on it’s tripod just on the other side of the table. On the table, there is a bottle of scotch, two notebooks, two pencils, and two shot glasses. 

"Agreed. But it’s gonna be fucking amazing while it’s happening."

"That is, admittedly, probably true." She made a face. "Is your list written up?"

"Yep. Go ahead and press record." 

"Hellllo, internet!" Simmons said brightly, waving at the camera. 

"This is Simmons." Fitz shook a thumb at her. 

"And that’s Fitz! And we are going to get very, very drunk." Simmons said seriously, straining not to grin. 

"We’ve decided, in honor of our second to last night in the same country, before I go home to vastly superior Scotland, that we are going to play two truths and a lie." 

"One of us will list three facts. Two true, and one false. The other person will guess the lie. If they’re wrong, they drink. If they’re right, the other person drinks." 

"And then the other person goes." 

"And so on." Simmons smiled over at Fitz. 

"Since she got to paint my face first, in a video that will be up by the time you all see this one, I get to list my facts first. So, Simmons, are you ready for this?"

"Born ready. Bring it on."

"Okay. Fact one. When I was seven, I broke my leg imitating superman. Fact two. I am still a virgin. Fact Three. I can tap dance." 

"Oh gosh. Um… No, there’s no way you’re still a virgin, you’re too witty." 

"Wrong! Take a shot, Simmons. I am definitely still a virgin, but seven year old me did not break my leg pretending to be Superman, I was trying to teach myself to hang glide." 

"Seriously? I don’t know what’s more absurd, the virginity or the hang gliding. But fine, fine, I lose." she poured herself a generous shot and slugged it back with ease, not even wincing. 

"That was. Unexpected." He raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh, please. I’m English. We drink. You should know that. My turn!" 

"Yeah yeah, let’s go." 

"Alrighty then! One. I once had to get stitches because I cut myself trying to take a sample of my own blood to look at under a microscope. Two. I was afraid of snails as a child. Three. I wanted to be a ballerina until I was six." 

"Well, that first one has to be true, I definitely buy that. But um…. You were never afraid of snails." 

"Nope! Drink up Leopold Fitz, because this girl had nightmares about snails until age ten. I mean, have you ever seen an up close image of their mouths? Terrifying." Simmons laughed while Fitz poured himself a shot and downed it about as easily as she had hers. 

"And my turn again." he consulted his list. "Let’s see. My first kiss was at age 8 at a birthday party. Two, I once got a personal letter from Tony Stark. Three, I got bit my a horse my first year of university." 

"Horses are evil and you’re a genius, so I’m gonna say… First kiss. That’s bullshit." she said confidently, raising an eyebrow in challenge. 

"Fucking hell." Fitz shook his head. 

"Ha! I got it! So, take a shot and then tell me when your first kiss really was.” 

"I can do one of those things." Fitz grumbled, taking another shot and wincing slightly. "But, I can’t tell you when my first kiss was. Because it… well it hasn’t happened." 

"Leo Fitz! You mean to tell me not only are you a virgin, but you’ve never even kissed someone?"

"I kissed a girl on the cheek once but uh, yeah, thas about it." he stared at the table sheepishly.

"That’s sad and adorable at the same time. Anyway, my go again." she cleared her throat and opened her notebook. "One. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. Two. I used to take ballroom dancing classes. Three. I had to go to speech therapy for a few years as a kid because I had a terrible stutter."

"You can’t tie a cherry stem with your tongue, I don’t buy that." Fitz narrowed his eyes and waited for her to answer. She smiled smugly in return. 

"Oh please, that’s child’s play. Ballroom dancing, however, is never something I participated in. Drink again!"

"I’m drunk enough right now to tell you that at some point, I swear to god, you are going to show me that. Jesus christ." he shook his head and downed another shot. "I’m gonna get you this time. I swear. Okay. Fact one, there was a period of four months when I was a child where I would only eat red food. Fact two. I once announced to my mother that I would only get married if I could marry Hermione Granger. Fact three. I have never had stitches."

"Uhhh, fact one. The red food thing. I call bull." Fitz made a buzzer noise. 

"No! That’s true. I was lying about the stitches, I have had stitches so many times. Drink up, Jem. 

"Oh, phooey." she wrinkled her nose but took the shot. "Alright, alright. My turn. Fact number one. My middle name is Viola, as in Viola of 12th Night. Two. One of my favorite books growing up was Old Man and the Sea. Three. Both of my parents have been married before." 

"There’s no way you like Ernest Hemmingway. No way in hell." 

"Fucking hell. Yep, that was bullshit." she laughed and took another shot. 

By then, they were both a little fuzzy around the edges, leaning forward on the table and into each other for balance, giggles falling easily throughout the room. After a few more rounds, they shook their heads in unison. 

"okay, okay, thaaaaat! is enough! Before we get too trashed to function, we say good byyyyye, internet!" Simmons giggled, leaning into Fitz’s side and wiggling her fingers in a wave. 

"So loooong." Fitz sing songed, before leaning forward to turn off the camera. 

"Oh gosh, you were right, that WAS fun." Simmons laughed, leaning down onto the floor.

"Seee? Told ya. M’always right." 

"You weren’t right when you were guessing lies wrong!" 

"Semantics, my dear Watson." 

"No, nuh uh, I’m Sherlock, you’re Watson. Curly hair, bad taste in jumpers.” 

"But you,” he leaned over and booped her nose with his index finger. “Are the one who likes bones and shit. And he’s a doctor.” 

"Let’s both be Sherlock. Everything’s solved." Simmons mumbled, rolling over and burrowing her face into Fitz’s shoulder. 

"Oh, uh, hello." Fitz managed, clearly startled. 

"Hi." Simmons sighed, clearly making herself comfortable. "Did you know. That you are very warm." 

"Apparently so." Fitz laughed, deciding just to rest his head on Simmons’ instead of fussing about the sudden close contact. 

"You know, I’ve never been kissed before either? A little peck once, at a party when I was a kid. But never a real kiss." 

"Thas a shame." Fitz mumbled, his words slurred and sleepy. 

"Why?"

"S’a shame tha’ no one ever saw fit to kiss such a pretty girl."

"Well, it’s a shame no one ever saw fit to kiss you, either. I think you’re the nicest, smartest, sweetest person I’ve ever met." 

"Jemma…" he started, but she shook her head, shooshing him by putting her hand on his mouth. 

"No arguing. Only sleeping." she said, her voice low and already fading away. She nuzzled her head into his shoulder, and before Fitz could lower them to the ground, she was snoozing away. 

They woke up crowded on the floor the next morning to a pair of righteous headaches, tangled together with fallen couch cushions. Unlike the first night, when they’d fallen asleep watching movies after spending all day in London, they didn’t bother with awkward apologies for falling asleep together. They just dragged themselves to the kitchen and set to work making breakfast together.


	7. Chapter 7

Simmons was sitting on the counter in her dorm’s kitchen, around lunchtime, watch Fitz slice tomatoes so they could make sandwiches. Her elbows rested on her knees so she could lean her chin into her hands. 

"I can’t believe you leave tomorrow." her voice was quiet enough it almost got lost in the music playing from her laptop in the other room, but Fitz was close enough to hear it over the strains of ‘Either Way’ by the Generationals. 

"Now now, Simmons. The time for melancholy is not today, but tomorrow, after I leave a vacuum of genius in your life." Fitz smirked, and Simmons rolled her eyes, but when he extended a hand to help her off the counter, she accepted. When he pulled her towards the living room, she followed, confused. But when he started dancing around, somewhat discordantly but dancing all the same, and staring at her expectantly, she relented and joined in. He laced their fingers together and pushed and pulled their arms around, even spinning her at one point, and Simmons was glad her roommate wasn’t around to see them.

"Oh I, I don’t know how. But this one is an original!" they managed to shout sing simultaneously as the last chorus played. 

"Oh gosh, Leo." Simmons mumbled, shaking her head and falling forward to hug him "Whatever am I going to do without you? Now come on, we have sandwiches to make and a picnic to have!" 

They went back to work, Fitz pulling snacks out of the cupboards and into a basket while Simmons prepared the sandwiches. They were a specialty of hers, made with prosciutto, and buffalo mozzarella, and her homemade pesto aioli. She’d promised to let Fitz try them while he was here, so they’d elected to have a picnic his last full day at Oxford.

"You’re taking cloth napkins on a picnic?"

"I am a proper English lady, thank you very much!"

"You’re as much a blushing english rose as I’m a ruddy unicorn, Jemma." Fitz scoffed, sticking his tongue out.

"Rude!" she retorted, but she was laughing as she said it.

"Really though, roses are far too temperamental and common for you. You’re more like a gemstone, diamonds maybe. Stunning but hard enough to cut any natural material. Obviously not a blood diamond though, I can’t imagine you harming another human being, or anything, for profit." Fitz flushed deeply, realizing he was babbling, but Simmons just beamed at him. 

"Leo Fitz! That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." She placed an affectionate hand on his face before stashing the sandwiches in the picnic basket. She snapped a quick picture of the basket, and he leaned over her shoulder to watch her type.

_it’s @monkeywrenches last day in england ): i lose him to the scots again tomorrow. farewell picnic lunch! #fitzsimmons #sadface #sandwiches!_

"Shall we head outside?" Fitz raised an eyebrow. 

"Yes, yes. Grab the picnic blanket, will you?" Simmons picked up the basket and waited at the door, smoothing her sundress with one hand. 

The two walked in comfortable silence towards the university’s courtyard, setting their blanket and basket under a large tree. 

"This is nice, isn’t it?" Simmons said softly, leaning against the tree trunk as she sipped at the clementine soda they’d brought. Fitz nodded, crunching through a handful of crisps. 

"Yeah, it is. Maybe England’s not so bad after all." he elbowed her carefully in the ribs and she snorted, shaking her head. 

"Idiot." 

"Takes one to know one." 

"Oh, are we five now? I wasn’t aware." she stuck out her tongue then grinned broadly, shifting to rest her head on his shoulder. He broke a piece off of the chocolate bar in their basket and handed it to her silently. 

"We’ll see each other again, yeah?" Fitz asked quietly, staring at the pattern on the blanket. 

"Leo! Of course we will. The train ride between Oxford and Glasgow is long, but it’s doable. You’re my best friend. We’ll figure it out. It matters, so we’ll find away." her voice has gotten soft and low by the end, and she reaches up and pulls the bar from Fitz’s hands wrapping them with her own and squeezing them reassuringly. 

"You’re my best friend too. It’s hard, sometimes. Bein’ so smart. I don’t mean that in an arrogant way just… It makes it hard to get close to people."

"I know. And we’re both younger than other people. And I was younger in secondary too, and I know you were and sometimes it’s just… awful and lonely."

"Lonely is right. I mean, it’s been just me and my mom since I was a kid. Don’t have any siblings, dad’s not around. Hard to make friends when you don’t like people much." 

"My parents are still together but they’re a bit… strange about me. Because I’m so grown up. They have been for ages. Sometimes I just wanted to be treated like a normal kid. And I didn’t have any friends growing up because I was too anxious. Eight year olds don’t look especially kindly on panic attacks." 

"I punched out a window once. Had to go to a councilor for my anger issues. Shredded my knuckles too, which just made me angrier because I couldn’t do anything." 

"I missed a week of school, right after starting secondary, because the first month or so, while academically a breeze, all the older students made me so out of place and anxious that one morning I just couldn’t leave the house. I tried to step outside and I just started hyperventilating and sobbing and I couldn’t stop. It was terrifying." 

"My mum had panic attacks sometimes. After my dad left. I can’t imagine having that happen. It must be awful."

"The first time it happened I felt like I was dying."

"I’m glad you didn’t die." Fitz said quietly, reaching a cautious hand up to stroke Simmons’ hair. 

"Me too. Me too."

They spent the rest of the day laying on the blanket, nibbling slowly at their food, but mostly just making idle conversation, sometimes reading out loud from the books ever present in both of their bags or pockets. When the sun had gone down, they both gathered their things and walked quietly back to Simmons’ dorm, then set about cleaning the kitchen in easy silence. Until Simmons started doing the dishes, and in a moment of childish spirits, flicked a handful of soap bubbles into Fitz’s hair. 

"Oh, you did  _not_  just do that.” he said with a laugh, reaching into the sink and blowing a bunch of suds towards Simmons. The situation degraded from their, the two of them throwing and blowing bubbles of soap at the other, until they were both spotted all over with suds and damp from the dishwater. Laughing hysterically, they both slumped over the counter and stared at the other, grinning broadly. 

"Aren’t we just a pair of lunatics?" Fitz said with a chuckle, wiping soap off his face. 

"Just a bit." Simmons replied, hopping up on the counter and brushing suds off of her sweater. 

"We should finish cleaning up and then change, probably." 

"Yes, that’s probably wise." 

The pair managed to finish cleaning and change without any further incident. But problems came up when Fitz laid out on the air mattress on Simmons’ floor for the night. Neither of them could sleep. They could both tell, having already grown used to the way the other’s breath sounded when they were asleep or awake, and so they both laid awake in silence. It was Simmons who spoke up, rolling over to the edge of the bed and looking down at him. 

"I, uh. Neither of us are sleeping. You could come lay up here until you got tired, if you wanted. It might be uh, easier. More comfortable?" her voice was shy. 

"Are you sure?" he frowned slightly "I don’t want to make you feel imposed upon." 

"I don’t mind." she shook her head and patted the bed, rolling back from the edge again. Cautiously, Fitz stood up from the mattress and sat down on the edge of Simmons’ bed, swinging his feet up carefully. 

The two of them arranged themselves a respectable distance apart on her pillows. But after a few moments of silence, Simmons reached a hand out, searching for Fitz’s on top of the blankets, and twisted their fingers together silently. When he didn’t say anything or move away, she let out a breath.

"Hey Jem?"

"Yes?"

"Sweet dreams." 

"Sweet dreams, Leo." 

The next morning they took the train to the airport, and both pretended not to notice that the other was tearing up a little as they travelled. When Fitz left to go through security, Simmons made him pinky promise they would see each other again soon, and kissed him on the cheek before he walked away. Her phone buzzed as she was walking out of Heathrow. The name on her screen of Leo Fitz. 

 _'Miss you already'_ was what it read. 

_'I miss you too.'_


	8. Chapter 8

"Tell me, honestly, how much of your visit you spent making out." Skye demanded, crossing her arms as she stared Simmons down through the tinychat window. 

"None of it! I told you, Skye, we’re not together!" Simmons rolled her eyes and went back to her task of editing the drinking game video she and Fitz had made. 

"I don’t believe you. And even if you’re really not together, you totally like him, and he likes you." 

"He’s definitely sweet on you, don’t deny it." Trip piped in, watching the flustered Simmons and determined Skye stare each other down as they debated about the nature of Simmons and Fitz’s relationship. 

"It’s a strictly platonic arrangement, and even if there  _were_  other feelings, I doubt either of us could manage the distance.” 

"Oh please, like you aren’t already making plans to go to the same grad school." 

"That is beside the point!"

"Well, my point that the two of you should totes bone remains. I’m telling you, and Trip will back you up, Fitz totally digs you." 

"She’s right. I saw that video Fitz posted of your guys’ tour of London, that is one smitten dude."

"You two don’t know anything." Simmons mumbled, clearly covering. 

"We certainly know more than you two do, you’re like Mr and Mrs Virgin."

"Where’s Ward?" Simmons asked suddenly, attempting to change the subject. 

"Oh, he wanted to have a talk. With Fitz." Skye wiggled her eyebrows and grinned evilly. 

"Oh god,  _why?”_

"I’m actually not sure. I think he either wanted to tell him to man up and tell you how he feels, or he’s playing Scary Big Brother and telling him that if he hurts you, he will fly to Scotland and murder him with his thumbs." 

"It’s probably both." Trip supplied. Simmons glared at him. 

"That is the opposite of helpful. Fitz and I can fend for ourselves, we don’t need a bunch of crazy people meddling in our feelings, even if you  _are_  all older.” 

"So you admit there are feelings?" Trip grinned.

"Oh shut up you!" Simmons frowned and refocused once again, cutting the video she was working on down to a reasonable length and adding typed numbers and effects, just for fun. 

"Siiiiimmons, come onnn. Just spill." Skye pouted. 

"We, and by we I mean mostly Skye, are not gonna leave you alone until you talk, Simmons." Trip raised an eyebrow, challenging her. 

"Ohhh, fine. Yes, at least on my end, there are feelings. I like him, he’s sweet and he understands me. It’s  _hard_  to be younger than everyone you go to school with. It’s  _always_ been hard and Fitz is the same way. He called me a  _diamond_ , tell me that wouldn’t make you swoon at least a little.”

"Adorable." Trip said with a laugh, shaking his head. "Now we just have to wait for one of you to grow a pair and tell the other." 

"Ughhhh, that’s gonna take forever." Skye rolled her eyes. "But seriously, Simmons. Grats. I’m glad you finally admitted it, it’s only been several months coming."

"Y’all  _are_ a little slow on the uptake, considering you’re a pair of crazy geniuses.” 

"Intellect does not always translate to emotional intelligence. trust me. My father will teach you alllll about that one." Simmons rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose. 

"Wooooah, unexpected truth drop from little miss I Don’t Talk About My Family. I assume asking for elaboration is useless?"

"You would be correct." she glared at Skye strictly. "Now, if the two of you are done badgering me, I have work to do. Bye." She smiled slightly before closing the chat window and sighing, pushing back from her laptop and walking to the other side of the room to stare idly out of her window. 

Simmons, being an only child with few friends and two very busy parents, was used to being alone. But she’d never felt more lonely in her entire life. In a matter of days, she’d adjusted to Fitz being a part of her daily existence. He’d barely been there, but the room felt empty without the background noise of his breathing, without him leaning over her shoulder to see what she was doing. She didn’t like it. 

Not only because she didn’t like feeling lonely, but because this was not the kind of person she was supposed to be. Jemma Simmons was brilliant and mature beyond her years and above all things, she was practical. Developing feelings for a boy in another country, just as young and terrified as she was, whom she’d only known in person for a handful of days, was the exact and perfect opposite of practical. 

She could practically hear her parents in her head whenever a message from him made her smile. 

_Jemma, your brain will be the only thing to carry you through life. Never a person._

_Don’t let people fool you, dear, everyone leaves in the end._

_Nothing lasts forever._

Her parents were pretty bitter for two people who were still married. She wondered if it was because of their previous marriages, they’d never really talked about them much. Not that Simmons didn’t love her parents, she did, but they just weren’t affectionate people. Ever since it was apparent that Simmons was as smart as she was, she’d been an adult. While she knew the way her parents pushed her as a child had defined her as a person, she still looked back and wondered if she’d be better off if they’d let her be a child. If she’d be less terrified and anxious and taken to neurotic tendencies, like washing the same dish six times because it just doesn’t seem right. 

She wonders, in the idle way she has of always thinking, never resting, as she dusts the coffee table, if she wouldn’t be a little better at having friends, at opening up to people, at admitting her feelings for a certain curly hair Scotsman, if only her parents had been more parent than teacher. 

Her phone buzzes and she picks it up, sliding open the snapchat Fitz sent her. It’s a picture of a lion beanie baby with a sad face doodled on the picture in red, fitted with the caption ‘ _horatio is lonely and homesick’._ She smiles, shaking her head and walking to her bedroom to find the unicorn beanie baby sitting on her bed. The unicorn, named Hamlet, and the Lion, called Horatio, had been Fitz’s idea. The national animals of their respective countries. Simmons snapped a picture of the unicorn and doodled a blue sad face and a few tears on it, typing out  _'hamlet is too. :('._

She makes a silent vow to herself that no one but Fitz can ever see her be so silly and vulnerable. It’s bad enough anyone sees it at all.


	9. Chapter 9

Fitz is sitting at his desk, working on blueprints for class, when Skype starts ringing at him. He looks up, expecting to see Simmons’ contact information, only to see Ward’s instead. He groans. He should have been expecting this. Not that Fitz didn’t enjoy talking to Ward. The two had struck up a somewhat unlikely friendship, despite how little they had in common. Ward regarded most people as potential surrogate siblings, in particular Fitz and Simmons. Skye seemed to be immune to his brotherly instincts, but if you mentioned that their relationship was different than Ward’s relationship with anyone else, he would clam up and refuse to speak. 

So ever since he got back from visiting Simmons, Fitz had been expecting a call from Ward, reaching out with brotherly advice and thinly veiled threats about protecting Simmons. He answered the call regardless. 

"Hey Ward." he said lightly, immediately returning to pencilling on the designs before him.

"Hello, Fitz." the older man said evenly, looking as put together as he always did. 

"What’s up? Did I miss an impromptu group chat or something?"

"Not that I’m aware of, I just wanted to chat." 

"Alright." Fitz looked at him expectantly. When Ward stayed silently, staring at him, Fitz sighed and took the bait. "What do you want to talk about, Ward?"

"What’s going on with you and Simmons?"

"Nothing?"

"You can’t answer a question with a question."

"What if I don’t know the answer?"

"You say ‘I don’t know’."

"I’m a genius, Ward, we don’t do well with the ‘I don’t know’ thing. It’s pretty much contrary to everything we strive for." 

"Are you two… involved? I know it’s none of my business and I can’t make you talk but Simmons is… I’m not sure how to phrase it in a way she, and by extension you, wouldn’t take offense to."

"We’re not involved. And don’t you go calling Jemma delicate or any such nonsense, she’s strong as an ox, just… sensitive." His face takes on a certain softness as he talks before he shakes his head, clearing his thoughts. 

"See? I told you you would get offended." Ward smirked. "but seriously, is something going on with you two?"

"Jesus christ, Ward, I told you. We’re not involved, we’re just friends. You’re not either of our real older brothers, you know." He snapped, instantly wincing and regretting it. "Shite, I’m sorry, that was rude."

"It’s fine." Ward shook his head. "I was prying." 

"For the record, while there’s nothing going on, I  _do_ like her. But I doubt that’s a secret to anybody.” 

"You should tell her." Ward said evenly. Fitz made a face. 

"She’s too practical for long distance, plus she’s too good for me. Too good for anyone, really." 

"You should still tell her. Life’s short, might as well get everything out of it that you can. I have drills, so I have to go, but seriously, tell her. Just don’t break her heart. I’d have to kill you." Ward nodded sharply and hung up. He always had been rather abrupt. 

Feeling off kilter, Fitz abandoned his work and stood up, running a hand through his dense curls. he was frustrated with himself, and growing more so by the day, so he’d thrown himself into his work. He’d felt off balance ever since he got back to Scotland. And he knew why, though he was loathe to admit it. 

Leopold Fitz did not believe in true love. Leopold Fitz, who watched his moth give his father everything, only to watch the way she crumbled and wilted when he left,  _could not_  believe in true love. He couldn’t open himself to that level of pain, allow himself to be so vulnerable. But most of all, he couldn’t shake the fear he could do that to someone else. How did he know he wouldn’t find someone, and they would love each other with all their heart, but something would shift and he would leave another human being burning in his wake, the way his father left his mother. 

He could never forgive himself if he did that to someone. He could especially not forgive himself if he did that to  _her_. 

He knew he’d just given Ward shit for implying Simmons was in anyway fragile or delicate. She could fend for herself, she really could. But there was something in the back of her eyes that made him sad and scared for her. But he knew she saw the same thing in him. In the grand scheme of life and the universe, they haven’t known each other very long. But it feels like a lifetime regardless. He checks his phone for messages from her, again, but none appear. He sighs. 

When his phone buzzes, he’s instantly disappointed when it’s a message from Skye.

_So I hear you talked to Ward, monkeyboy_

_Does he tell you everything? Or do the two of you just have a psychic link?_

_Ward couldn’t not tell me everything if he wanted to, it’d be sad if it wasn’t adorable._

_How come you can harass me about Simmons but whenever I bug you about Ward you get surly?_

_Because you’re a baby, I have like, life experience and stuff._

_Yeah, well, I could build a machine from spare car parts that would blow up your whole block, so there._

_So when are you going to tell her?_

_That was an abrupt change of subject. Also; I’m not going to._

_Ughhhhhh. Why are you so boring and predictable and afraid of life._

_Because I have reason to be? Anyway I have homework and all you’re going to do is pester me about Simmons so. I’ll talk to you later. Go dogsit Ward._

_I’m telling him you said that._

Fitz groaned and let his phone fall to the floor as he fell onto his bed. He didn’t have the time or the energy for any of this. When he turns onto his side, he sees the beanie baby lion he bought in London when he was with Simmons. He reaches out and pets it for a minute, feeling awfully childish, but he feels a little better afterwards. So he snaps a picture of it, complete with messily drawn frowny face and the caption ‘horatio is lonely and homesick’. Simmons had a unicorn, and they’d named them Hamlet and Horatio, since Fitz and Simmons both had Shakespearean middle names. She was Viola, he was Orsino. They’d had a good laugh about that, since it was possibly the most ridiculous, unlikely coincidence possible. The two of them sharing middle names taken from Shakespearean lovers. 

When she responds back with a picture of Hamlet the unicorn, Fitz thinks maybe he believes in true love after all. Just a little.


	10. Chapter 10

"I heard Ward gave you the third degree." Simmons said apologetically, slipping her safety goggles into her hair.

"Are you sure you should be on Skype in the lab?"

"Fitz, it’s past midnight, everyone else is long gone." 

"I mean like, safety wise." he scrubbed a hand in his hair. Simmons waved a hand nonchalantly.

"It’ll be fine. I wanted to keep our daily Skype date and I needed to finish this, so, multitasking." she smiled brightly. 

"I just don’t want you to hurt yourself." he fussed. Simmons smiled at him indulgently. She didn’t need to be fussed over or looked after, she was a perfectly capable adult woman. but she indulged Fitz, because it made him feel good to fuss, and maybe a little because after a lifetime of being treated like an adult, it was nice to have someone who wanted to look after her a little. 

"I’ll be fine, I promise."

"So what project is this?"

"My advanced organic chem final"

"It’s barely the new semester and you’re already working on a final? You’re a mad woman." 

"Yes, well, I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t." 

"And that would be a damn shame." Leo flinched immediately, realizing how sappy that had sounded. But Simmons just smiled again. 

"So how was Ward? Awful?"

"No, he was alright. Just… a bit prickly, but Ward is always a bit prickly. He just cares about us both. Then Skye was texting me and getting on my ass too." 

"Ah yes, Skye. I got double teamed by her and Trip on tinychat earlier. I’m just glad I don’t also have overbearing parents to pester me about dating. Honestly, I think I could go through my entire life as a spinster and never have children and my parents wouldn’t mind or even notice." 

"You’ll have to come to Scotland, meet my mum. You can just join my family, screw your folks." Fitz winced again. "I’m sorry, I know you don’t dislike your parents, the way you talk about them talking about you just… I don’t understand why they wouldn’t be ecstatic that you are the way you are." 

"Oh, they are, I’m sure. They just… aren’t so into emotions. Clinical, I suppose, would be the best way to put it."

"Still. You’d like my mom."

"If she’s anything like you, I’m sure she’s the best woman in the whole world." Simmons beamed.

"Do you think you’ll get married one day?" Fitz asked idly, after a long moment of silence where he inked his blueprint notes and Simons scribbled measurements in a black notebook.

"I don’t know. While I loathe to keep bringing up my parents, both of them were a bit… bitter. About the whole ‘one true love’ thing. Which is strange considering they’ve been married to each other for so long. I don’t object to the idea, but I’m not sure how much faith I have in it happening, I suppose."

"Mum wants me to, I can tell. She wants grandkids and she just… wants me to be happy. Have what she couldn’t give me since my dad split. Stuff like that."

"That sounds nice." Simmons said softly, smiling at Fitz through the screen. " _She_  sounds nice.” 

"Am I making you sad? I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry."

"No, no. It’s okay." She shook her head, but the posture of her shoulders and the tension he could see in her wrists, even through the fuzzy laptop image, told him otherwise. He would have given anything in that moment to be able to reach out and use the tips of his fingers to soothe the worry from her face. 

"So how much do you have left to do?"

"Not much tonight. Maybe a few days more work, max. Then a bit of a waiting game for the samples to mature, then just a short write up and it’s done. How are your plans?"

"Coming along slowly but surely. Trying to reduce the size of the whole thing down, make it a bit more streamlined. The basic mechanics are there, I’m just trying to balance the mechanics and the aesthetics." 

"So." Simmons said, before pausing a moment. "Have you made any decisions about grad school? There are mere months left for both of us an uni." 

"A bit. I’m thinking MIT for.. for a lot of reasons. Plus, they’ve offered the best scholarship." Once Fitz has finished speaking Simmons tries her best to disguise her smile and sigh of relief. Fitz raises an eyebrow. "What was tha’ about?" 

"I’m choosing MIT too." she says with a grin, because she has always been a terrible liar. 

"Oh. Wonderful." Fitz fights back a smile and puts his notes aside, opting to doodle instead of continue with his work. 

"Is that… alright?" Simmons asked, her voice faltering just slightly. 

"Jemma! Of course it is! I would love to see you every day, like actually see you in person. In fact I’d like nothing more in the world than exactly that." Fitz and Simmons both blushes at that, and Simmons smiled broadly, while Fitz furrowed his eyebrows at his own outburst. 

"I bet I could come visit you for March break." Simmons offered, wiping down the tabletop she sat at to begin cleaning up. 

"That sounds…" he paused for dramatic effect and stared straight at Simmons "Fantastic." 

"Stop imitating Christopher Eccleston, you goon." she said, rolling her eyes affectionately. "Besides, Nine was nothing without Rose."

"Well duh, none of the Doctors were anything without their companions."

"Of course not. Without women men would never get anything done." Simmons stuck out her tongue.

"You’re gonna be the death of me, lassie."

"Someday I’m going to be the literal death of you if you keep calling me ‘lass’ and ‘lassie’, you dreadful Scot."

"You secretly like it, I can tell." Fitz winked and Simmons rolled her eyes. 

"So what if I do? If you ever tell anyone I admitted that, I will kill you in your sleep using untraceable poison of my own design." Simmons said with a laugh. 

"Wouldn’t dream of it." he said before pausing. 

"Oh, don’t you dare!"

"Lass." he smirked as he said, then grinned. Simmons sighed loudly but smiled at him. 

"Well, I’m all cleaned up here, so do you want to call again when I get back to my room, or call it a night?"

"Should probably call it a night. I have an early lecture tomorrow." 

"Alright. Good night then, Leo. Sweet dreams." she smiled softly and Fitz returned the look. 

"Sweet dreams, Jem. Until tomorrow." he hung up the call after that, and stared down at the doodle on the pad of paper before him. Years of working on blueprints had given Fitz a fair drawing hand, even with people. Grinning to himself, he snapped a picture of the drawing and sent it to Simmons, accompanied with another goodnight message. 

As Simmons was stashing her notes away in her room for the night, her phone buzzed. She saw the message first.  _Good night, lass._ Then she opened the attached image and grinned, immediately setting the picture as her phone’s background image. 

It was a ballpoint pen doodle of the two of them lying on a picnic blanket, stargazing. 


	11. Chapter 11

"How are you, Jemma?" the woman asked evenly, addressing her daughter through the webcam. 

"I’m fine, mother. Very busy, but fine." 

"And your studies?"

"Well. I’ll be making my graduate school decision soon."

"And where are you going?"

"MIT." Simmons fiddled with her pen, making sure that her hands were off screen so her mother wouldn’t see.

"An adequate facility for your continued higher learning. Though I’m not sure how your… temperament will serve you in such a busy place." her mother stared pointedly off screen towards Simmons’ twitchy fingers. Simmons tried hard not to visibly wince. 

"I’m sure it will be fine mother. Especially since-" she winced "Oh, darn, looks like I’ve forgotten what I was about to say." she mumbled with a nervous chuckle. She knew it was obvious she was lying but she hoped her mother would just leave it be. 

"No you didn’t. Finish your thought." her mother raised an eyebrow and Simmons silently cursed herself for letting that thought slip. 

"I have a friend who’s also attending MIT, that’s all." Simmons was as vague as possible and hoped her mother’s lack of interest in her personal life would prevent her from prying.

"You shouldn’t assume people will make things easier, Jemma, nor that they will be as interested in you as you are in them." 

"Don’t worry, mother, I hadn’t forgotten that tidbit." she fought to keep the bite out of her voice. 

"Your mother is right." a deeper voice joined in, Simmons’ father walking into frame. "If you can’t succeed at MIT alone, without friends, perhaps you should select a slightly less… hectic location. People are unpredictable." 

"Yes, thank you, as always I appreciate your insight, but I really must go now good bye!" Simmons said quickly, her voice obviously fraying on the edges as she hung up the call without giving them a chance to say good bye. She rested her head in her hands, trying to empty her mind and focus her breathing into counts of five. 

Her parents loved her, she knew they did. And they… meant well. Mostly. They just had even less idea how to talk to people than she did. But it didn’t mean that their constant reminder about the inevitability of people leaving and the fickleness of human nature didn’t grate on her occasionally. Or frequently. 

She’d gotten her breathing back in order, but her chest still felt to tight as she tilted her head back up. She was just glad she’d managed to keep from having a full on anxiety attack in the middle of her living room. Or while on call with her parents, who had always been of the mind her anxiety issues were some sort of affectation of hers that could be willed away. An oddly archaic and troublesome view for two people who were so bright, but all people had their irrationalities, she supposed. 

She could still hear them in her head, going on about how she could never depend on another person ever, as she picked up her phone and hit the call button, hoping to a god she had never believed in that Fitz was not busy. 

"Jemma?" he sounded concerned right off the bat, since she almost never used the phone to call him. 

"Hi." she said quietly, her voice still wound up on the edges. 

"Jem, are you alright?" she could hear the look on his face. Lips drawn into the slightest concerned frown, eyes worried, brows furrowed together and his head tilted ever so slightly to the left. 

"I was on call with my parents." she muttered, soundly vaguely embarrassed about freaking out over the whole ordeal. 

"Ugh." she could practically see his nose wrinkle and his eyes scrunch up. "What did they say to you?"

"I accidentally mentioned I had a friend also going to MIT and they advised me that if I couldn’t make it on my own perhaps I should go somewhere less ‘hectic’. Well, that was the word they used, but they meant challenging. So then I freaked out and hung up on them."

"As if you couldn’t handle MIT alone." Fitz rolled his eyes, letting his fists unclench. The way Simmons’ parents addressed her so casually made his blood boil. "And besides, even if you needed help, I’m going to be there, so neither of us is going to have to go it alone. And I don’t care what bloody nonsense your parents shoved down your throat about how everyone leaves and people are a weakness, you are my best friend and I am not going anywhere and if you need me I will be there and that’s a damn promise."

Simmons didn’t answer straight away, and Fitz worried he’d said too much and she’d panicked and hung up. Then he heard a slight gasp and hiccup from the other end of the line and immediately frowned. 

"Jem? Jemma, are you crying? Oh god, I didn’t mean to upset you further, I’m sorry, I’ll shut up about your parents, god I am a bloody moron." 

"n-no, no, you’re.. you’re fine." she said finally, her voice strained. "Sorry I’m blubbering like this I just… No one has ever cared about me so openly before you and sometimes I have trouble be-believing any of this is real and one day I’m just going to wake up and it will all have been a very nice dream and nothing more."

"It’s okay. Don’t apologize, you don’t have anything to be sorry for. For basically forever it’s just been me and my mum, and while I love her to pieces, it’s a bit of a lonely life. But now I’ve got you and I could not be more completely thrilled to have you in my life, Jemma. And we’re gonna go to MIT together and we’re going to kick so much arse that your parents will get whiplash from how much you are succeeding and I will be there, beside you, the whole damn time."

"Leopold Orsino Fitz, you may very well be the best thing that has ever happened to me." Simmons said softly. shaking her head to herself. 

"Right back at you, Jem." Fitz replied, his voice equally soft. 

"Thank you." 

"And thank you. Now, are you alright? I have to go back to class, but I want you to be okay before I go." 

"Leo! Did you leave class to take my call?"

"I was worried. You don’t just call me on the phone in the middle of the day. You don’t even LIKE talking on the phone." 

"Yes yes, I’m fine, you silly goose. Go back to class." 

"Alright. Talk to you tonight Jem." he hung up.

Simmons laid down heavily on her sofa. This was getting out of hand. She had never in her life called someone to seek out comfort after an anxiety attack. And she hadn’t even thought about it. She’d just been sad and scared and panicked and she knew he would help, so she’d called him. And he’d walked out of a class to answer her because he’d known something had to be wrong. Simmons picked up her phone again, scrolling through her contacts till she found Skye. 

_Houston, we have a problem._

_What’s up, Simmons? Trouble in nerdbaby paradise? :P_

_Not… trouble exactly._

_Well then what???_

_I’m in love with Fitz._

_Duh?_

_No! Not duh! I knew I_   ** _liked_** _him, I didn’t think I was in love with him!! Those are two very different emotions and I was not at all prepared for the second one!!!_

_Chill out and just go with the flow homie. You’ll both be fine._

_Why did I even bother attempting to get you to help with this?_

_Don’t ask me, man. When have I ever given you serious advice? ;P_

_Goodbye, Skye, you are the actual worst._

_That’s my job._

Simmons groaned and let her phone fall to the floor. Was she going to jeopardize the most important relationship in her life by just dropping the ‘love’ bomb out of nowhere? No, of course not. She would wait. Once they were around each other all the time, it would either happen, or it wouldn’t 

Simmons was patient. She would be fine.


	12. Chapter 12

"Fuck." Fitz said out loud to the empty room. " _Fuck._ " his voice raised in pitch and he slammed a hand down on the counter top. The sound of tinkling glass jarred him, and he watched as a cup fell to the ground, crashing into pieces. 

"Well isn’t that just  _grand_.” he spit, throwing his hands up in the air. He closed his eyes and drew in a long slow breath. Opening them again, he stared at the blueprints in front of them, now with an eraser tear on one end. Rationally, he knew it was not a big deal. He could easily copy the drawing over onto a new page, it was only a draft after all. But the urge to rend the paper in two persisted. So he walked away from his desk and picked up his cellphone. 

"Fitz?" Simmons asked as soon as she picked up. She could hear the heavy sound of his breathing. "Are you alright, love?" she said delicately. if he closed his eyes he could imagine her exactly, lower lip pouting out slightly, one hand reaching for his shoulder, head tilted up to look him in the eye. He took a breath. 

"I just got mad about something stupid, that’s all." he took another breath, already feeling better because he could feel her on the other side of the phone. 

"You didn’t..?" she was afraid to ask the whole question, instead hoping he would fill in the blanks. She ached to reach through the distance and card her fingers through his curls until she felt the anger drain slowly from his shoulders. 

"No, Jem. I’m fine, I promise. I broke a glass, but only because it fell from the table." he hears her breathe a heavy sigh of relief, and a pang of guilt echoes in his chest, for having worried her. 

"Thank god. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you, Leo." her voice is quiet and he knows she’ll immediately almost regret that admission, but he files it away and stores it for later, for the nights he can’t sleep for wondering if it really matters if he wakes up the next day. 

"I don’t know what I’d do without you either, Jemma." it’s easier for him to say than it was for her, and they both know it, but it doesn’t make either of them feel guilty, or like one cares more than the other. 

"Let’s have a drink tonight. I get out of lecture at seven, and we can sit on video chat and each drink a beer and one of us can play music so we can listen together. Relax a little. We’ve both had a tough week."

Fitz doesn’t say anything for a moment, closing his eyes and listening to her breathing on the other end. She seems to understand this and doesn’t press him or ask again. The sound of her voice is like hands rubbing the tension from his shoulders, and as he takes another breath, the last of the anger fades away. 

"Yeah." he says finally, his voice quiet. "Yeah, that sounds great." 

It had been a stressful week, after all. Between Simmons’ argument with her parents earlier the week, and both of them working on early finals and paperwork for graduate school and financial aid, tensions had been on high. They’d basically taken turns each night falling asleep on call, one night it would be her, but him the next. but no matter how exhausted and busy they were, they refused to give up the luxury of hearing each other’s voices every night. At that point, it was less an indulgence and more a necessity. 

The others in their little group had all been busy too, Ward with training and Trip and Skye with their respective majors, though Skye took time from her busy schedule of computer coding to badger Simmons about telling Fitz how she felt. 

Later that night, Simmons set up in her living room, finding a suitable playlist to blast, thanking any available deity that her roommate was on a date, and grabbing a bottle of beer from the crisper drawer. her screen lit up and her computer rang at her, so she smiled and clicked the green button to answer. 

"Feeling better?" she asked, tilting her head. 

"Yeah, I got my work transferred over, and I found a mistake while doing so that would’ve knocked my grade down a peg or two, so I guess in the end it was a good thing." 

"Well, cheers to one long week being over then!" she grinned and tilted the neck of her bottle just slightly towards the screen. Fitz did the same, chuckling. 

"Cheers. Now, isn’t there meant to be music?"

"Ah yes." Simmons took a swig of her beer and then pressed play on her iTunes, the song Either Way by the Generationals blasting out. Fitz smiled broadly while Simmons blushed slightly, staring at her beer. it was the song they’d danced around to on his last day. She’d thought maybe he could use a reminder of happier times. 

"You, Jemma Simmons, are a precious being and a gift to this earth." he scrunched his eyes up as soon as he spoke, embarrassed to have rattled off yet another ridiculous thing. Simmons just flushed bright red and smiled.

"I just wanted to try and lift your spirits, that’s all."

In a fit of affection, Fitz did something a bit silly.

"Jemma, sit right in front of your camera. Nice and centered."

"Why?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Just play along will you?" he mock pouted at her, but she rolled her eyes and complied, squaring her shoulders. Fitz grinned and leaned over, wrapping his arms around his laptop screen, like he was hugging it. "There. Now I’ve given you a hug." He looked entirely too pleased with himself. 

"You are an absolute tosser, Leo Fitz." but she was grinning and laughing as she said it, and rested a hand against the camera for a moment, like she was affectionately touching his face. 

They spent the rest of the evening downing bottles of beer and singing along to whatever song was playing badly. They hit a lull for a few minutes, while the song ‘Carrying the Torch’ played. The words struck a chord in both of them, and they avoided eye contact while the verse ‘Someone said last night it will be if it’s meant to be’ played softly. But the mood was made jovial again by a Passion Pit track, and the pair only hung up when Simmons could hardly keep her eyes open. 

Showered and dressed for bed, Simmons picked up her phone as she laid down, smiling. She snapped a picture of Hamlet the unicorn, who was sitting next to her on her pillow, and drew a line of zzz’s beside his head, before typing up the caption.

_hamlet wants horatio to know he says ‘i love you and sweet dreams’_

Fitz grinned, already half asleep when he got it, making sure to screencap the image before it vanished forever. He took a picture of the lion on his bedside table and drew an eyemask over his face. 

_horatio returns his sentiments. xoxo_


	13. Chapter 13

"I’m so glad we could schedule our campus visits for the same day!" Simmons grinned broadly through her webcam at Fitz. 

"Yeah, same. I’m also glad we were both able to get away. Would be unfortunate to have to miss our interviews. What a lame reason for a couple of geniuses to not get into postgrad."

"True. Ugh, I’m just hoping I won’t have trouble getting back to Oxford in September for graduation. I understand tradition but truly, it just seems silly. But mother and father are insisting I attend so. There’s that. I tried to convince them and the school to let me out early but, alas." she shrugged. 

"S’alright. I’ll come back with you, we’ll make a day of it." 

"I doubt you want to put up with my parents for a whole day, Fitz." 

"I’ll be watching you. Won’t matter. I could put up with a constant loop of the Macarena for you, your parents seem annoying but I’m sure it will be fine." 

"You’re a prat, you know that?"

"Maybe I am, but you seem to like me well enough." he stuck his tongue out.

"Skye’s excited about us coming to America. It doesn’t seem to matter to her that she’s in Los Angeles and we’ll be on the other side of the country in Boston." 

"We’ll be closer to Ward and Trip than Skye. Maybe if we do end up at MIT and Skye can get away all of us can meet up! Wouldn’t that be fun?"

"Fun and terrifying, yeah. I think Skye would make Ward lock us in a closet and leave us there till we made out." 

"Could be fun, I’ve never played seven minutes in heaven before." Simmons laughed but Fitz looked horrified. "Oh relax Fitz! I’m joking! I didn’t know the idea of kissing me was so horrifying I may need some ice for my bruised ego." she stuck out her tongue. 

"I.. I didn’t mean it like that I was just… taken aback! You don’t normally make jokes like that, that’s all. You’re very pretty and I’m sure your kissing skills are more than satisfactory! And I’m just digging myself in a hole here." 

"It’s alright, you redeemed yourself with the possibly accidental Harry Potter quote there at the end." 

The next two weeks before their visit to Boston passed in a blur of lectures and labs and independent study, punctuated with increasingly loud and excited tinychats about their looming visit to America. 

Before Fitz knew it, he was standing in Logan Airport, looking around for Simmons, who was landing not long after he did. He glanced at his watch, and before he could look back up, he heard his name. 

"Leo Fitz! Get your arse over here right now!" Simmons shouted, before bursting into a run, and nearly knocking over a middle aged man. Fitz grinned and shouldered his bag and made his way towards her quickly, stopping abruptly when she threw herself at him. Lucky for Simmons, he caught her easily, drawing her tightly into his chest. Both of their bags fell to the floor, and Simmons buried her head firmly in Fitz’s chest.

"Ooooh, I missed you." she said softly, without lifting her head.

"I missed you too." Fitz replied, taking a risk and pressing a soft kiss to her hair. She responded by hugging him even tighter.

"Are you excited? I’m SO excited!" she grinned broadly, looking up at him finally, her eyes wide. 

"It is pretty thrilling, yeah." 

"It’s a good thing MIT is giving us accommodation for this visit. You have to be 21 to rent a hotel room in America."

"Really? That seems silly."

"That’s what I thought." she said with a nod, and then grinned as Fitz wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked out of the airport to catch a shuttle over to campus.

"How was your flight?" he smoothed a stray hair back behind her ear.

"Oh, it was fine. Long, obviously. but it wasn’t full and their were no loud children, so that was nice. What about you, love?"

"I slept most of it, to be honest." he said with a chuckle, smiling down at her easily.

"Of course you did, lazy boy." Simmons chided gently, tapping her finger on the end of his nose.

To any stranger on the street, they would have looked like a particularly happy couple. Simmons had nestled herself firmly into Fitz’s side, her head leaning against him and both arms around his waist. Fitz had one arm slung around Simmons, his hand resting easily on her hip, his other hand alternately in his pocket or brushing her hair back. They could care less how they look to other people though, simply content to be able to be in the same place again. After a walk, and a bus ride, and another walk, they arrive at the campus. Simmons lets out a happy little sigh as she stares up at it. 

"This is it Leo! The place we’re going to spend the next part of our lives!"

"Indeed it is, Jemma. Indeed it is." he beamed and squeezed her hand, tightly, and they walked together through the gateway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to the lovely Asterie for helping me with uni stuff and general british terminology and education stuff! Also I'm sorry for the update delay, I got stuck, but I think I'm good now! I love all of you wonderful people <3


	14. Chapter 14

"Well today was eventful!" Simmons said cheerfully, leaning her head on Fitz's shoulder.

"Yeah, it was busy, but it was a good day. We learned a lot. Do you think you did well in your interview?"

"Yes, I think so. You?"

"Yeah, I do." 

Simmons nodded at him and then looked around. The sciences department was having a late night pool party following potential student orientation. The day had been long, as they were still jet lagged from flying in the day before, but good. They'd both had their admissions interviews, attended a few sample lectures, and taken a tour of the campus. And then the groups of students had branched off based on department, the sciences heading towards one of the two pools. Fitz and Simmons didn't have suits, so they'd simply rolled their pants up and slipped their barefeet into the cool water an leaned on each other, listening to the soft music and watching the people around them. Simmons wrapped her arms around one of Fitz's, leaning her chin on his shoulder. 

"I think we could have a good life here." 

"I could have a good life anywhere you were." 

"Fitz!"

"I mean it. You're my best friend, Jemma. I think I could be happy in the farthest pits of hell if you were there."

"Leoooo." she cooed softly, pressing her face into his neck.

Quiet stretched between and around them, but despite Fitz's words, it was far from awkward. They were both happy to sit and watch people splash in the pool and watch the wavering of the underwater lights. it was a far calmer and more normal life than either of them had ever experienced, always being so much younger than the people around them. 

"I've always loved the way lights look underwater." Simmons said sleepily, resting her head more firmly on Fitz's shoulder. 

"I know. You kept going on about it when we were at the aquarium in London. Not that I mind listening to you talk" 

"It's just so... soft. In the old stories, whenever anyone described a soft light from heaven, were there such a place, I always imagined it would look like light from under the water."

"I always thought about it like the first rays of sun after a storm. A soft, warm light emanating from the cold and the dark. Like the way they used to paint angels, with that ray of light shining from their halos. 

"You remind me of an angel." Simmons said quietly, reaching up to ruffle Fitz's curls. "Curly hair with golden pieces, big eyes, rosy cheeks, symmetrical features." 

They fell into silence again, watching a couple of other future MIT students splash water at each other. Simmons smiled, a strange and sad smile, and Fitz tilted his head towards her when he saw it. She shook her head and patted his hand. 

"It's nothing." she said. 

"Are you sure?"

"Just feeling nostalgic for the things I never got to do." she shrugged delicately and Fitz nodded. 

"Is your phone in your pocket?"

"No, why?" she furrowed her brows at him.

"Because since it's not, I can do this." he grinned and sent water splashing into Simmons' face. She spluttered, but recovered quickly, a gint in her eye as she dragged her hand through the blue water and splashed him back, soaking his hair. he made a face of mock alarm and sent both hands crashing into the water just in front of her, soaking her face and fringe. With a laugh, Simmons ducked under the water and darted back up, promptly spitting a mouthful of water into Fitz's face. 

"Oh, that is disgusting!" Fitz said, but he was laughing and shaking his head, looking very much like a wet puppy. 

"I think that's enough of that.." Simmons said with a chuckle, sitting back down on the side of the pool, utterly oblivious to the bemused looks they were getting.

"Indeed. But! At least now you've done it. No sense being nostalgic about what you haven't done when the opportunity to do it is right in front of you." he grinned shyly. 

"You are truly a wonder to behold, Leo Fitz." she shook her head ruefully and leaned her damp hair onto his much damper shoulder. 

The music had taken a turn from fast to slow, and the words of the mellow song was seeping slowly into Fitz and Simmons' bones. 

_I thought it less like a lake and more like a moat._   
_The rhythm of my footsteps crossing flatlands to your door have been silenced forever more._   
_The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row_   
_It seems farther than ever before_   
_Oh no._   
  
_I need you so much closer_   
_I need you so much closer_   
_I need you so much closer_

Simmons turned her head, and Fitz caught her eye, staring down at her head resting against his neck. Suddenly, the line they'd been walking towards for their entire friendship seemed to loom directly in front of them. 

"Jemma?" he asked, his voice low and quiet.

"Yes?" she blinked up at him, lifting her head slightly. 

Shutting his eyes for just a moment, Fitz gave himself a second to steel himself, and then gently cupped the side of her face and leaned down, slanting his lips against hers and soft and careful as he could, as if he was afraid her could break or startle her. Simmons stiffened for only a second before immediately relaxing against him, her hands drifting up to his neck to keep him from pulling away. He tasted like chlorine and the tea they'd had with lunch. His hands moved into her hair as they pulled away, and he moved his forehead to rest against hers, his eyes wide and frightened. neither spoke for several moments, Simmons was finally the one to break the silence. 

"Shall we walk back to our rooms?" her voice was quiet. Fitz nodded and winced when Simmons stood up quickly. But when she grabbed his hand to help him up and didn't let go once he was on his feet, he relaxed. 

Once they had left the pool area, she spoke again. 

"So it's safe to say our feelings are mutual then, I hope?"

Fitz let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. breaking out in a grin, he nodded, and made the impulsive decision to kiss her again. She had to lean up on her toes just slightly, but he held her tightly against him, his hands stroking the sides of her face slowly and carefully like she was the most precious thing in the entire world. 

She might as well have been. 

"Well this has been a long time coming." she said with a chuckle after they finally pulled apart.

"Yeah, I reckon it has." 

Simmons rested her head against Fitz's chest, her arms wrapped loosely around waist. She pressed her nose against him, and he could feel the way her smile stretched across her face. 

"I love you." she whispered, then immediately winced and pulled back to cover her mouth, embarrassed. Fitz shook his head, pulling her hands down and kissing her again, softly and briefly, then kissing her hands. 

"I love you too, Jemma." he whispered back. 

She closed her eyes and smiled before leaning up and pressing a gentle kiss to ever part of his face that she could reach, hands grasping his cheeks carefully. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please just sort of... roll with the whole pool party thing, I realize MIT probably doesn't do that, but I REALLY wanted to parallel to the pool scene from the show somehow and have music playing and such and that was the best way to do it. I call artistic license. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!!!


	15. Chapter 15

Pressing a kiss to Simmons' forehead, Fitz extricates himself from the tangle of limbs on his bed. Technically, MIT accommodations put them in separate rooms, but Simmons hadn't tried very hard to leave the night before, letting herself nod off with her head on his chest. She murmured in her her sleep, something unintelligible, but then simply curled into the warm place in the blankets Fitz had left. Smiling, he slipped into jeans and a button up to sneak downstairs. The MIT cafeteria was providing breakfast for the prospective students, and he wanted to bring it back up to the room for Simmons.

Down in the cafeteria, he grabbed a tray and piled it with two cups of coffee, since there was no tea, two donuts, one chocolate iced and one old fashioned, a couple of strawberries, and a few pieces of buttered toast. Quietly, he slipped back to the room, thankfully unnoticed.

"Good morning sleepy beauty." he said softly, walking towards the bed. Simmons blinked at him blearily and grinned, too groggy to protest the nickname even playfully.

"Did you bring me breakfast?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. I figured it's about time someone took care of you instead of letting you do it all yourself." he smirked, laying the coffee on the nightstand and then laying back in bed with the food. 

"Oh, please. I'm a grown woman, Fitz."

"Indeed you are. but just because you can do everything on your own, doesn't mean you should have to." he mumbled through a mouthful of old fashioned donut. 

"Whatever you say." she rolled her eyes affectionately. Then took an enormous bite of the chocolate donut before nibbling at a strawberry.

They only had until the evening before they both have to board red eye flights back to Glasgow and London, and they both cried at the airport, unashamed of the pain caused by parting. 

"I love you." Simmons whispered, pressing her face into Fitz's chest. Her arms were wrapped about him as tightly as she could manage. He kissed the top of her head. 

"I love you too. But I'll be at your graduation, and you'll come visit me for summer holidays, meet my mum. It will be fine."

His flight left before hers, so when they separated at the end of the security lines, Simmons watched him walk away, and she had never understood the word heartache so exactly before that moment. She swallowed a sob and ran for her own gate. Neither of them slept on the flight home, opting to stare listlessly out of the window instead. 

She slept through most of the next day, waking up only to turn in an online assignment and posting the video she and Fitz had made late the night they got together online. The one they made to announce their relationship. They hadn't even told their friends yet, wanting it to be a surprise. 

The next day, after downing several cups of tea, Simmons braced herself for her weekly call to her parents. 

 

"I think you’re making a horrendous mistake." Simmons’ father says to her over skype. Simmons wants to hang her head in her hands and scream. She has been back from Boston for two days, she’s been Fitz’s girlfriend (girlfriend, she thinks, rolling the word around her head with a grin she couldn’t hide if she tried.). And she called her parents to tell them about her trip, to tell them she’d been informed she had a 95% chance of admission and then she’d be off to America to work on her doctorate. And, in a misguided moment of thinking maybe her parents trusted her judgement and would be happy for her, she told them about her and Fitz. 

Her mother wasn’t even saying anything, just staring at her with narrow eyes and tight lips and every ounce of disdain her body was capable of. Simmons felt herself shrinking back physically, but shook her head and squared her shoulders. 

"I don’t care." she said suddenly, startling not just her parents but herself. 

"Excuse me?" her mother demanded. 

"I don’t care! I am an adult, mother! I am nearly 21 years, and I have been mature and capable of making my own decisions since I was fourteen. I am a Mensa level genius, and I have never been anything other than responsible and driven! And it is disgusting that you two can’t find it in your hearts to be happy for me when I’ve finally found someone who enjoys my company. You’re my parents, not the heads of a bloody boarding school! Fitz is going to be at my graduation and you can either come and be polite to my boyfriend or you can stay home!” 

"Jemma Viola Simmons! You are being unbelievable!" her mother shook her head. 

"Oh, I don’t ruddy care, mother. I’m your daughter, not your star pupil. There’s a difference. I know what I’m doing. Either live with it, or don’t. The continuation of our relationship lies in your hands." 

She slammed her laptop shut and immediately dialed Fitz. She talks before he has a chance to. 

"I accidentally told my parents about us and then they had a conniption fit and I sort of told them they could be polite about you or get out of my life and I think I’m having an out of body experience." she let everything out in one long stream of babbling.

"Would it be inappropriate to tell you that I’m proud of you?"

"Fitz!" 

"Taking that as a yes. Um. I’m sorry? I’m not sure what the protocol is in this situation? Thank you, I suppose. Uh, yeah, let’s go with that. Sorry and thanks." 

"… It did feel kind of nice." 

"I suspect it would Look, I’m not saying your parents are bad people, but they’re hardly… supportive."

"Yeah... I know. I'm working on... reconciling my feelings and their actions and, well, a lot of things." 

"I know. I'll be here for you. Now, as a pick me up, shall we read the comments on our announcement video?"

"Ooh, yes, that is a good plan. Can I read them out loud?" she managed a smile to herself. 

"Of course." 

"Let's switch to Skype." 

After a few minutes of shuffling on both ends, they were both seated on their own couches, staring into their laptop cameras as they loaded the comments section of the video on Simmons' channel. 

"Alright. Here we go." Fitz grinned. Simmons cleared her throat.

"Of course the first one is from Skye." she rolled her eyes. "It says about time you two! i was team fitzsimmons from the very start. when can i expect my invitation to the wedding/accept my place as simmons maid of honor??' That's Skye for you." Simmons snorted and Fitz rolled his eyes. "Next there's a comment from Ward. "Congratulations. Don't hurt each other, I'll have to kill you both. "  
"Very succinct, very Ward."

"Trip says 'Aw, I knew you too could do it! I'm happy for ya.' which is the most polite response of them all." 

"Trip's a nice guy, that makes sense." 

"Then there are just a bunch to the tune of 'Oh my gosh I can't believe it's real' and then 'Fitzsimmons' in capslock a lot. It's rather amusing." she chuckled. 

"People are quite fond of us, it's true. Any jealous commenters wanting to whisk you away from me?"

"Wouldn't matter if there were." 

Fitz grinned at her. The next few months would not be easy. But then they would be together, and it would be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long! I'm not very proud of this chapter but I wanted to get something up, so here it is. The others will be better, I promise! Enjoy, anyway.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh! I am SOOO sorry this took so long! but here it is anyway! And in the next chapter, she'll meet Ms. Fitz. I hope you all enjoy it!

"Oh, it feels so nice to have everything turned it!" Simmons clapped her hands decisively before picking up the beer bottle in front her and taking a sip. 

"Ugh, I’m jealous. You got all that independent study time to finish things up at your own speed, I have like, schedules and shit to follow." Skye rolled her eyes in her window of the group tinychat. 

"Skye if you had to do my advanced bio work you would probably combust, I promise you’re better off in your own favored area." 

"Heeeey what’s that supposed to mean?"

"Just that biochemistry is a terribly complicated and open ended subject that wouldn’t appeal to someone who enjoys computer programming. They’re very different subjects, that’s all."

"Yeah, come on, Skye, everyone here knows how ruddy smart you are at what you like doing, but no one is good at things they don’t enjoy"

"Oh. Yeah that makes sense. Plus I’d probably accidentally explode the school or something."

"You think you have a schedule?" Ward raised an eyebrow at Skye, smirking. "Try military school." 

"Ugh, noooo thank you. I have enough weird robot macho bullshit in my life from just you." She stuck her tongue out at him. 

"Hey, someone here has to be the responsible one." he replied, mock offended. 

"Yeah. That would be Trip." Simmons said resolutely. 

"Girl’s got a point." Trip grinned.

"Sooo Simmons! When do you leave for your little rendezvous with our little Fitz here?" Skye waggled her eyebrows.

"The day after tomorrow is when my flight leaves. And I’ll be there… a week and a half right? A few days at school for your end of the year stuff and graduation, and then I’m going home with you and your mum."

"Yep, that sounds about right. It’s a blessing and a curse your graduation is in September. On the downside it’s ages from now, but at least that way we can both go to each other’s graduations and then just fly out to Boston together from Heathrow."

"Ugh, I don’t even want to think about my graduation right now. I haven’t spoken to my parents since that spat we got into about you." 

"What’s up with you and your folks?" Ward asked, narrowing his eyes. Simmons waved her hands around, shaking her head. 

"OH, nothing bad. They just get a bit snippy when they feel I’m doing something other than focusing on school like the mindless automaton. Nothing serious, they mean well after all." Fitz frowned at her during her speech but didn’t say anything. 

"Are you sure?" Ward raised an eyebrow. 

"Of course I’m sure. After all I’m a terrible liar." Simmons said dismissively, waving a hand around again. "Anyway, my laundry just buzzed, so I’m going to have to leave you all and start packing." she grinned and waved, blowing a cheeky kiss and Fitz before shutting her laptop. 

"Okay monkey, spill about Simmons’ parents." Skye said immediately after Simmons had left the chat room. 

"I only know what Simmons has told me. It just seems like they treat her more like a student than their child and they discourage her from having close friends because ‘it’s bad to need help from people’ or some such bollocks. And I don’t think they understand her anxiety issues at all." 

"That’s pretty lame." Skye frowned. Ward just simmered irritably in the background. 

"Yeah, that sucks, Simmons is great, shame her parents don’t really get her." Trip shook his head. 

After too very long, very busy days, Simmons was sitting on a plane, staring down at the land below. As the plane descended and jostled the passengers as it hit the taxi way, a tendril of nervousness curled itself into Simmons’ stomach. 

Sure she’d met Fitz before, but that was as a friend. Going to visit a boyfriend felt different somehow, especially to someone with little experience with interpersonal relationships. 

But when she was standing in baggage claim and saw Fitz speed walking towards her holding a teddy bear with an ‘I <3 Scotland’ tshirt on it, all the anxiety vanished and she was running towards him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her off her feet slightly, plating a kiss on her lips. She grinned against him as she lowered to the ground again and slipped her hand into his. 

"Hi." she said finally, her voice light. 

"Hello." he grinned, kissing the top of her head. 

"I missed you." 

"I missed you too, love." 

They made their way via public transportation back to the dorms at Fitz’s university. His roommate was staying with family for the last few days of term, so there was no one to be introduced to. Fitz flopped onto his sofa and Simmons curled beside him resting her head on his shoulder. 

"We should make a video." she mumbled, sleepy from an early morning. 

"Yes, that sounds like a plan. But would you, little miss sleepy, like some tea or coffee?" he chuckled and smiled at her affectionately. 

"Mmmm.. Coffee please." 

"Coming right up, baby girl." 

"Baby girl?" she arched an eyebrow, sitting up slightly as she walked towards the coffee pot in the corner. 

"I.. yeah, sorry. Old habits die hard, I used to watch a lot of bad mob movies. I’d imagine you don’t appreciate demeaning pet names." Fitz scrunched his face apologetically and poured a water bottle into the coffee maker, flicking it on. 

"No, actually, I uh.. I don’t think I mind." Simmons said softly, flushing slightly. She knew she probably should have been bothered by the endearment, but for whatever reason she found it made her feel loved and safe instead of small and belittled. 

"Oh. Well, alright then." Fitz grinned, a sloppy expression, and ran a hand through his hair. 

"So what video shall we do?" Simmons asked, crossing her legs as she sipped contentedly at her mug of coffee. 

"We should do one of those silly ‘Boyfriend Tag’ videos. For fun and because I want to rub what a catch you are in everyone’s face." Fitz smirked and winked at her cheesily. She laughed, but nodded. 

"Yeah, okay." 

After a few minutes of bumbling to get the camera set up, they settled on the sofa, Simmons leaning against the arm with her legs stretched over Fitz’s lap. Fitz turned the camera to record. 

"Hello, loyal viewers." Simmons wiggled her fingers, laughing. 

"As you can see," Fitz said with a grin "The lovely Jemma Simmons is here, visiting for my graduation from uni."

"And because Leo is, apparently, the possessive type-" she stuck her tongue out.

"Hey!" he laughed, frowning. 

"Oh shush, I’m playing around. Anyway, this is going to be the boyfriend tag video!"

"Jem’s going to ask me questions and I will answer them, and some of ‘em we’ll probably both answer." 

"Are you ready?" Simmons asked, tapping a piece of paper in her hands and grinning at him. 

"Shoot." 

"Okay! The first question iiiis.. When did we first meet?"

"I’m gonna assume you mean like, actually met. So it would be when I visited you for March break."

"That was a fun trip. Minus the tower of London, that was terrifying."

"God, yeah. That was awful. 

"Okay, next one. What was your first impression of me? Both in person and online, and I’ll answer too, once you’re done!"

"Well, online, it was that video of you talking about Doctor Who, and I thought you were sharp as a tack and funny and also disturbingly pretty. And then in person it was that you were sort of shy, but even prettier in person." Fitz grinned and Simmons flushed bright red, hiding behind her hand for a second.

"Oh, you. So MY first impression of you online was also about Doctor Who, since those videos are how we were introduced, and I liked your accent and  thought you were very smart. And then when we met in person, you were taller than I expected. Also, rather adorable." 

"Yeah yeah yeah, enough about me, next question." he rolled his eyes but he was grinning. 

"What do we argue about the most?"

"Ummm… would you call it arguing? We debate about things a lot but it’s all in good fun, really." 

"Yeah, thats true. I’m sure we’ll argue eventually but we’re still all moony eyed, no time for that yet." Simmons said with a laugh. "Okay, now, when did you first meet my family? Not that you have but, you know, play along. " 

"Well, as you said, I haven’t yet but I’ll meet your parents when I fly out for your graduation." 

"And I’ll meet your mum in just a few days, for  _your_  graduation” Simmons grinned. “Do we have any traditions?”

"Well we haven’t really been together that long, so unless making videos together or skype chats count as traditions, not really. But we will. I’m sure of it." he smiled confidently at her and she leaned her forehead into his shoulder, giggling. 

"I hope so." she grinned again. "Alright, is there an animal that resembles the other person?"

"You remind me of a [binturong](http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/05/30/BintarongAP_wideweb__430x308,0.jpg), also known as the bear cat. Cute little arboreal mammal from parts of Asia. Adorable, but they’ve got vicious jaws on ‘em." 

"You remind me a bit of a [malinois](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/askville/9774915_9900008_mywrite/belgian-malinois.jpg). You know, the Belgian shepherd. Can be a bit neurotic if left alone, protective, but still a good family dog."

"I am not neurotic!" 

"Oh please. Now what was our first road trip?"

"I don’t know if both of us flying to Boston counts. Maybe the day trips into London? But we’re going on a real road trip to New York after we’re settled in at school to visit Skye, Ward and Trip, so that’ll be fun." 

"Oh, right! Yes, that will be. Alright, what pisses me off?"

"Professors who talk down to you. People who make tea by boiling water in the microwave. Badly written female characters." 

"Those are all indeed true. Especially the tea. You’re all animals."

"Alright, what’s next." he said, laughing and reaching to smooth her hair.

"What is your favorite feature about me? I’ll answer too, in a bit."

"Do they mean physically? Physically it’s got to be your smile. Could light up the whole of Glasgow."

"Ooooh, you." she blushed, shaking her head. "I like your voice. it just… sounds warm. Homey." she smiled shyly. 

"Hush up and give me the next question." Fitz said, flushing and rubbing his neck nervously. 

"Do we have any nicknames for each other." 

"Well, I call you Jem or Jems. And everyone else mostly calls you Simmons, so I suppose that counts." 

"And most people call you Fitz, so I suppose Leo counts as well. But nothing embarrassing or cutesy, I’m afraid."

"Sorry, viewers." Fitz said with a smirk. "No dirt from that question."

"What is a food I do not like?" Simmons looked back at her sheet and tilted her head at Fitz.

"Oysters. You can’t stand oysters."

"It’s true, they are rather appalling. Awful texture." she wrinkled her nose. Fitz stared at her adoringly, shaking his head. "What is my favorite drink? I know yours is good scotch."

"True. And yours is good beer, but I know you’ve got a special soft spot for Young’s chocolate stout."

"Oh god yes, the best beer int he bloody world. Alright, who is my favorite sports team? Hint: it isn’t real" she smirked. 

"The Holyhead Harpies, of course." Fitz grinned and Simmons’ clapped appreciatively. 

"Yes! And yours is the Chudley Cannons, of course." she smiled and ruffled his hair. "What color are my eyes?"

"Light hazel. Like warm honey. Beautiful."

"Leeeeeo!" Simmons flushed darkly

"I only speak the truth, love." 

"OOOOKAY next question!" she giggled nervously "Who is my best friend?" 

"Well, I mean, I assume this means ‘other than who you’re dating’ because I like to think I’m your best friend."

"Of course you are. Best in the whole world." she smiled brightly and clasped his hand with hers. He grinned.

"But other than me, obviously Skye, Trip and Ward." 

"Yep. And the same for you, I assume." 

"Obviously." 

"Last question! Which of us is more ticklish?"

"Oh, you are. Without a doubt." he grinned wickedly and leaned towards her. 

"Leo! leo don’t you dare!" she shrieked, laughing. But it was too late,he clasped his arms around her sides, tickling up and down her ribs until they nearly fell of the sofa from laughing so hard. Simmons pulled away finally, bright red from laughter, and leaned into the camera. 

"Alright, well, this has been fun! But we have to go now! Goodbye!" she waved and Fitz waved from the background as she turned off the camera.


	17. Chapter 17

"Oh Leo, you look so handsome!" Simmons smiled, smoothing the collar of his shirt with nervous fingers. She reached behind them and picked up a silk tie, the same rich black as the gown he'd wear for the graduation ceremony. 

"I can tie my own tie, you know." 

"I know, I know. Let me fuss." she grinned broadly at him and he shook his head, chuckling. 

"Whatever you want, love." 

"Good. Now hold still so your tie will be straight." she admonished gently, before looping the scrap of silk around his neck and slipping it under the collar. She tied it with ease, and he had to admit, it was much neater and straighter than if he's tied it himself. "There. Perfect." she patted the knot and turned to the dresser behind her, fussing with something. 

Simmons, as always, looked stunning. Graduation was a formal event, so she'd brought a [dress](http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/l/tid/50960448.jpg) for the occasion. it was a deep burgundy with a slight shine to it, with dark burgundy polka dots. Playful, but demure, much like the girl who wore it. And because it was Simmons, and Simmons was ever practical, neat stockings and low black heels. 

"You look beautiful." Fitz said softly, leaning into her back and wrapping his arms around her waist "What are you fussing with?"

"This." she pressed a box into his hands, wrapped in dark blue paper with a silver ribbon tied around it. "It's your graduation present." she smiled nervously and clasped her hands behind her back, fidgeting. "Go on, open it." 

Carefully, he untied the ribbon and peeled the tap on the paper, not wanting to tear something she'd wrapped so carefully. Under the paper was a plain white box. Inside the box, wrapped in red tissue paper, was a leather journal. It was deep blue in color, hand stitched, and as he flipped through it he saw in contained both graph paper, plain paper and lined paper. The front cover was embossed  _'Et Ipsa Scientia Potestas',_ Latin for 'knowledge is power'. 

"Jemma. It's perfect." 

"Check in the inside cover." 

Fitz opened the journal again and looked at the inside of the front cover. Written there, in neat black cursive, letters curling around each other, was a note. 

_Leo,  
I hope this journal will suit your needs. I wanted to give you something to help you contain all those wonderful ideas in your head. You inspire me, every day, I hope, perhaps, that in giving you this I can do the same for you. Congratulations, darling. _

_Love always,  
Jemma_

Fitz teared up a little, shaking his head and pulling Simmons into his arms, resting his nose on top of her head and pressing a slight kiss into her hair. 

"It's perfect, Jem.  _You're_  perfect. Thank you." he murmured, pulling her face up gently by the chin and kissing her softly. 

"I'm glad you like it." she smiled shyly. 

"I love it."

There was a knock on the door, and Simmons stiffened, jumping away from Fitz and moving to fuss with the hem of her dress. 

"Jemma, love, calm down. My mum is going to love you. I promise." he said earnestly, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Come on, princess, look at me." he lifted her face, looking into her eyes. "It's okay. She's not that scary." he slipped an arm around her waist and together they walked to the door to Fitz's dorm, and Fitz swung it open to reveal his mother. 

"Mum!" he said brightly, releasing Simmons to give his mother a hug. "It's so good to see you." 

"It's wonderful to see you too, Leopold." she smiled warmly, smoothing her simple black skirt. 

"Come on in, it's a bit cluttered because I've been packing, but it's where I've been living, so I suppose it's home." he guided her into the room, Simmons following behind and trying not to worry or fuss too much. "Mum, this is Jemma Simmons. Jemma, this is my mum, Blair Fitz." 

"It's wonderful to finally met you, Ms. Fitz. Your son talks about you frequently." Simmons said, edging the nervousness from her voice with practiced politeness, extending a hand. The older woman took it gratefully. 

"Please, dear, call me Blair. And my son speaks very highly of you. I look forward to getting to know you during your visit. and that color looks positively radiant on you." Blair smiled widely, and Simmons could instantly see the mother and son resemblance. 

The ceremony was long, as they tend to be, but Simmons managed to relax around Blair, easing into conversation about Fitz, how they met, how they got together, plans for MIT. It was surprisingly easy. Conversation fell away as the announcer reached the F's in the stage line up, and both women grinned and applauded loudly as Fitz walked the stage, turning to wave at them and beam as he headed back to his seat. Eventually, everyone had walked and speeches were made, and the ordeal was over. Simmons and Blair both headed towards the throng of family and friends of graduates, and in a fit of exuberance, Fitz rushed towards them and swooped Simmons up into his arms, spinning her around. She giggled and clung to his shoulders until he put her down, beaming. 

"Congratulations, love." she said brightly, patting his face affectionately. 

"Yes, congratulations, Leopold. I'm so very very proud of you."

"Thanks, mum." he said warmly, pulling her into a hug. "Now, unless you want to make small talk with my professors, I suggest we hit the road and go get a bite to eat. Beat the huddle masses to the decent restaurants. Plus, Jem isn't overly fond of crowds and I don't want my girlfriend having an anxiety attack." he smiled at her affectionately and Simmons blushed, shaking her head. 

"I'm fine, really."

Regardless, they made their way out of the ceremony and out to Blair's car, then driving out to the edge of town to Fitz's favorite restaurant. The meal was easy and jovial, and by the end of it all of Simmons' nervousness about Fitz's mother had been assuaged. At the end of the night, she dropped the couple off at Fitz's dorm, so they could finish packing his things and be picked up the next morning. The next morning, Blair arrived with breakfast, pastries and tea from a nearby cafe, and the three ate on Fitz's floor and then loaded his things into the rented van. Tired from staying up late packing and talking, Fitz and Simmons snoozed in the car on the ride home.  


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY. I didn't mean for this to drag on so long, but life caught up with me. I hope to have this wrapped up in about three more chapters. Again, I'm soooo so sorry, oh my gosh. I adore you all for your patience.

"It's so you!" Simmons says, giggling, as she looks around Fitz's room. The walls are plain white, and dark blue curtains hang over the one wide window by his bed. His sheets are also dark blue, with blue plaid pillow cases. Around the walls are posters and photographs, mostly of cars and places and other mechanical things. There were a few movie posters, including a nearly floor to ceiling vinyl Star Wars poster and a few small posters advertising the band The Airborn Toxic Event. She quirked an eyebrow and pointed at the posters.

"What? You couldn't have seriously thought all I listened to was oldies? Come on, Jem, you know me better than that." he grinned, wide and crooked, and Simmons beamed back and shook her head.

"No, no, I'm just still surprised as all. Doesn't really seem like your 'vibe', that's all." she makes a playfyl face as she pulls out the air quotes. Fitz sticks out his tongue, and in a fit of feeling especially smooth, he reaches over and grabs her around the waist, swaying her in the silent room. He leans his forehead against hers and hums for a minute to catch the tune.

 _"I remember your face, like a child. The way that you blushed, and the way that you smiled._ " his voice was low and rough, but it was far from awful, and Simmons closed her eyes and let him shift her back and forth. " _And now it's all that I can do, so I woke up feeling new, you're so much more than I ever knew._ " a small smile graced her face, her eyes still closed as she leaned further in him, letting the moment wash over her. " _So I think of all those times spent alone, it's like you're searching for something to make you feel whole. Like a half of something else, just a fraction of yourself._ " She wound her hands into the ends of his hair, burying her face in his neck. She sensed him stumbling through the words in his head, mentally skipping around the lyrics to find the verses he wanted. " _Now I tell you I would die if that's what you'd rather see, and I don't care if it's clever I just want you with me. I'm only half of something else."_ by the end of the lyric, his voice was sparsely above a whisper and Simmons was close to tears, shaking her head and kissing him lightly. 

"Oh, Leopold Fitz. I love you so." 

"I love you too, Jemma Simmons." he smiled ruefully and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "So. You're the first girl to ever be in my childhood bedroom." 

"Oh dear. Is your mother going to hate me for defiling your virtue?" Simmons smiled playfully and raised an eyebrow, earning a bark of laughter from her Scottish best friend. 

"Not likely. She'll probably sing your praises for the rest of her days for finally gettin' me to comb my hair every day." she rolled her eyes at his remark. 

"You  _are_ a bit of a disaster." 

"You seem to like me alright." he returned the eye roll

"Hm, yes, I suppose you'll do." 

"Oh, shut up, you."

The rest of the afternoon fell away to a tour of the house, small and humble but very warm and homey, and the surrounding grounds. The Fitz house was old and therefore had an enormous yard complete with a giant tree with an old wooden swing hanging from it, which Fitz was sure to sit Simmons down in for the sake of taking a cute picture of her to shut Skye up. Her hair was loose and flying behind her as she kicked her legs. She was bare foot and in a shirt and shorts, with her eyes closed and a radiant smile on her sunlit face. She looked younger and more carefree than Fitz thought he had ever seen her before. The picture made him smile. Later, they'd sat beneath the tree and waited for it to be time to eat, while Fitz entertained Simmons with stories about his youth, growing up in the house, setting accidental fires, and even a few slightly bitter anecdotes about the days before his father left them. 

"I'm sorry." she'd murmured quietly at one point, wrapping her hands around Fitz's. 

"There's nothin' to be sorry for. He's a codgy old bastard who broke my mum's heart. He isn't worth your apology or any second thought I could give him." 

"I was apologizing  _for_ him not  _to_ him, Leo." she stroked his face softly. "You deserved better. All people deserve loving parents, but you especially." 

"You're one to talk." he scoffed. 

"Leo..." she frowned at him, drawing up on her knees so she could wrap herself around him. 

"Sorry. It's hard not to be scared, or bitter, you know? Every kid, you always think your parents are super heroes. Even genius kids like you and me. They're big and untouchable and infallible and we think they'll always be there and always be together, you know? And sometimes they aren't. Sometimes they're mean and they leave you behind. Sometimes you watch one of them slowly suck the life out of the other and leave them broken and crying when they finally just give up. He didn't even try, Jemma. He never even tried to make it work. The minute it got hard, the minute my troubles in school started making it hard for them, he got mean and he quit." his voice is low and quiet and angry and sad all at once, and Simmons cards her fingers through his hair again and again, leaning down to kiss his forehead. Fitz shakes his head. 

"I get scared sometimes, ya know?" he stares at the ground. 

"Oh, Leo. Love, I'm not going anywhere." 

"It's not that." he shook his head firmly and took up her hand, playing with her fingers. 

"What is it then?" she said, her voice gentle. 

"I get scared one day I'll wake up and I'll be him. That I'll do what he did to my mum to some other poor soul. That one day I'll break you the way he broke mum." his voice was a murmur and nothing more. Simmons hugged him to her tightly, her face sad. 

"Leopold Fitz. You are strong and brave and intelligent and wonderful. And the very fact that you are so worried about becoming him means that you are absolutely nothing like him, do you hear me?" her voice is strong, and she's holding onto either side of his face. He swallows and nods. 

"I love you." he says. 

"I love you too." she answers. 

Blair calls them in for dinner not long after that, and the mood lifts considerably. Fitz's home is easy and warm and comfortable in a way few things are to Simmons. It is certainly a far cry from the tense and clinical atmosphere of her own home. The following week was easy. They filmed videos and watched movies and ate a lot of homemade sandwiches out in the yard. Leaving was hard, but it was easier with the promise of moving to Boston in a few short weeks, and of traveling to New York to visit their friends. Amidst a flurry of kisses and promises and tears, Fitz leaves Simmons to fly home to England, until the reunite to move into their dorms in August. 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it took me so long to get this up! There should be two or three more chapters, and then this behemoth will be done! We've got Simmons' graduation, the roadtrip, and then maybe a wrap up chapter left! I promise not to take so long ever again, and there's a cute fitzsimmons instragram in this chapter as an apology! I hope you guys enjoy <3

Simmons arrived in the apartment a few hours before Fitz, having booked a slightly earlier flight. They’d found the apartment online, and done all the paperwork through emails and faxes and the post when absolutely necessary. When she lugged her first suitcase through the door, a shiver ran down her spine and she couldn’t help but grin. It was real. She was standing in a real apartment she was really going to share with her very real best friend turned boyfriend, Leo Fitz. With another grin, she dropped her suitcase and went to bring the rest of her stuff up from the curb. 

When Fitz arrived, all of Simmons’ bags and boxes were stacked neatly in the corner of the bedroom, and Simmons was sitting crosslegged on the floor, facing the door and waiting eagerly. When the door swung open she jumped up and a smile spread across Fitz’s face

"Hi, Jem." 

"Leo!" she beamed and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. 

"Bloody surreal, innit?" he gestured one arm around the room as she pulled back slightly. He smiled even wider. 

"Surreal yes, but also fantastic." Simmons slipped her hand into his and leaned up to meet his lips. "I missed you." 

"I missed you too, love, but hey. At least we don’t have to anymore."

"I could hardly believe it until I walked in here this morning."

"Have your parents calmed down at all?"

"Not a bit, they’re being insufferable. But at least they haven’t kicked me out of the family or cut me off, or some other such nonsense."

"Good." he kissed the top of her head. "Well, I’m going to bring my stuff in, and then what do you say to lunch and then furniture shopping?"

"Sounds delightfully domestic." Simmons grinned and kissed his cheek before releasing his fingers so he could bring his things into the one bedroom apartment. It was a split level, a bit unusual for the area, but it had a big living room, which mattered when a biologist and engineer shared a living space. It had a bathtub too, which had been Simmons’ primary requirement. There was a small entryway that led off to the kitchen on one side and a hall closet on the other, and then a set of stairs leading up to the living room and the bedroom and bathroom. 

They had lunch at a deli up the street, and made a shopping list and budget while they ate, smiling widely and scribbling notes on margins about what they’d need. The day was thankfully not too warm, so moving the furniture in wouldn’t be too awful of an experience. With a lightness to their steps, Simmons slid into the driver’s side of their rented truck and Fitz stepped into the passenger’s side, with his camera out, grinning into the lens. 

"So Simmons and I are on our way to Ikea, so we can buy furniture. For the apartment we’re sharing. You know, just moving in together. No big deal." he swung the camera over to Simmons, who was smiling and nodding her head to the song on the radio. She lent the camera a quick smile and went back to driving. "We’ll get all moved in and settled, and then just before school starts it’s back to England for Simmons’ graduation, and then we both start MIT. But before all that, we’re driving up to Westpoint, where Ward goes, and meeting up with him, and Trip, and Skye, and we’re all going to hang out and hopefully Skye won’t get us into too much trouble." 

He filmed most of the drive, so they’d have plenty of footage to splice from later. And of course, they decided to take turns filming their adventures in Ikea.

"So I’m sure you’ll all have one question." Fitz said with a smirk into Simmons’ camera, standing in the middle of a handful of model bedrooms. “‘Fitzsimmons,’ you’ll ask ‘Will you be sharing a bedroom?’ and Jemma is giving me a horrible death glare but for you only, dear viewers, I am answering. Yes. But mostly just to save money on beds and so we’ll have the extra bedroom for workspace." Simmons rolled her eyes and tossed a golf pencil at him. He stuck out his tongue. "Lay off me, lassie."

"Oh shut up, you twit."

"We’ve come to the most important department." Fitz said later, turning the camera on Simmons. "Bookcases."

"We’ve got a lot of books between the two of us, Fitz. We’ve got to be economic of the space in our living room. Besides, you’re a terrible packrat. What about this one?" she pointed at a dark wood bookcase that would go nearly to their ceiling. "As long as we also get desks and tables with storage, and a smaller bookcase to double as a table in the bedroom, we should be good."

"Yeah, I’ll write it down. You’ll need a bloody step ladder to get at the top though."

"No, silly Leo. That’s what you’re for." She grinned cheekily and winked at the camera.  

After several hours of shopping and filming and loading, they had everything they’d need for the apartment. They stopped on the way home and picked up pizza and beer, and spent another several hours building furniture and getting tipsy. Mostly Fitz built furniture, SImmons filmed him and drank beer and added an extra set of hands when needed. Not because she didn’t want to assist, but because Fitz insisted he was perfectly capable, and, as she told the camera in a clip that would likely be cut out, who was she to complain about sitting back, drinking and watching her shirtless boyfriend build things?By two am, the bedroom was furnished, the bed has sheets, and nothing was unpacked, but they were exhausted. 

"Well, shall we have our first cup of tea in our new apartment, and then turn in?" Simmons stretched her arms over her head and turned to Fitz as she changed, pulling on loose shorts and one of Fitz’s sweaters. And stared at her for a moment, just letting himself relish the moment. 

"Yes. I would very much like to sit on the steps, and watch my beautiful girlfriend wear my clothes, and sip tea in the apartment we rented together, and watch the rest of my life start to unfold beautifully before me."

"Leeeeeo." she scrunched her nose and flung her arms open, gathering him into a hug. "I love you. I’m so glad we’re doing this." 

"I love you too. And I couldn’t be happier we’re doing this." 

"Chamomile? In the mugs Skye sent us?"

"Sounds delicious."

"Perfect." 

The kettle they’d bought, made of brushed metal, whistled on the stove. Simmons filled a set of matching mugs, one with a small stick figure in a skirt having hearts rained down on it, and the other with a stick figure minus the skirt facing the opposite direction and with a butterfly net full of hearts. They were a bit cutesy, but Simmons liked them anyway. She added milk to both their tea, and sugar to her own, and carried them over to Fitz, who was sitting on the small set of stairs leading to their living room. She handed him his mug and sat down, smiling. 

"To the future." she held her mug to his. He beamed and nodded, clinking the ceramic cups together. 

"To  _our_  future.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day??? It's a miracle. Warning for Simmons' parents being kind of generally confrontational and vaguely ableist about anxiety!

“God, I am so glad that’s over.” Simmons grumbled, smoothing her hair where the cap had disturbed it. “Those silks and robes and stuffy and awful and not at all flattering. Plus, I loved it here, but it’s time for a new chapter.” She beamed at Fitz who was standing nearby. When she smiled he nodded and swept her up suddenly, hugging her tightly. 

“I’m so proud of you. I’ve got your present, but I didn’t want to be carrying it around, so I don’t have it on me.” 

“That’s alright. You can give it to me later.” Simmons fiddled with the sleeves of her dress and then sighed. “We’ve got to go see my parents. You know they’re going to hate you, yes? And it’s nothing to do with you, as a person, just that you’re a boy and someone I’m dating and care about so obviously you’re an awful distraction who will ruin my life.” She rolled her eyes. 

“I’m with you. You like me. That’s all tha’ matters.” He shrugged. “We could just bolt. Run off, find a hotel room, avoid your folks for the rest of our lives.”

“Jemma Simmons does not avoid things, Leopold Fitz.”

“Of course not. I just thought I’d offer.”

“Let’s get this over with.” She squared her shoulders and grabbed Fitz’s hand. He squeezed her fingers reassuringly and they left the dressing room of the theatre and headed to where they knew Simmons’ parents were congregating. That morning, they’d decided Fitz meeting Simmons’ parents could wait until after the ceremony to meet Fitz, so if there was drama they could leave. And Simmons was sure there would be drama. 

“Hi mum, hi dad.” She said, sounding uncharacteristically timid. She let go of Fitz’s hand and waved, smiling tightly. 

“Hello, Jemma.” Her mother nodded and looked over at Fitz disapprovingly. Her father nodded, but didn’t say anything. Just stood with his arms crossed and looked at them. “Who’s this then.” Her mother waved a hand at Fitz.

“This is Leo Fitz, my best friend and my boyfriend, mum. He’s who I’m rooming with in Boston, for post grad.”

“Oh. The boy.”

Fitz had never heard someone sound so disdainful in his entire life. He’d known meeting Simmons’ parents would be uncomfortable, she’d never been shy about how abrasive they were, even as she insisted they were her parents and she loved them and knew they cared for her, they just struggled to do so correctly. But he hadn’t expected their presences to feel quite so cold.

“Yes, mum, my boyfriend. And best friend. He flew out with me to be here for my graduation and support me. Because he cares about me.” Simmons twitched a hand, itching to reach up and put her hands to her neck, and old nervous habit. But she knew her mother would tut at her and her father would ask what she ever had to fuss about, it was just a conversation after all. Fitz could feel the tension in her voice and took a risk, reaching a hand behind her to press his hand against her lower back, carefully. 

“And what do you do, Leo?” her father spoke suddenly enough Fitz startled, and it took him a moment to speak. 

“Oh, um, I’m an engineering major. I’m getting my doctorate at MIT. I specialize in non-lethal weapons design and remotely controllably robotics.” 

“Dating in university is a terrible idea. You need to focus on your studies. I still don’t approve of your decision to cohabitate with this boy.” Simmons’ mother made a face and Fitz pressed his hand slightly harder into Simmons’ lower back, resting the urge to rub careful circles against it. 

“I think we know by now, mother, I am perfectly capable of balancing aspects of my life.” 

“If you were adept at balance you would not have anxiety issues, Jemma Viola.”

“My anxiety issues are a psychological condition, mother.” Simmons said, her voice high and tight through gritted teeth “They have nothing to do with my ability, whether you view it as lacking or not, to balance my life.”

“Whatever your excuse, your grades must not slip. You’d lose your scholarships and your mother and I will not support your mistakes my assisting you financially.” 

“Yes, father, you made me well aware of that fact when I announced my decision to live with Leo. I do not need a reminder, my memory is perfectly intact and still more than adequate.”

“Just don’t come running to us when this little plan of yours blows up. That’s all.” Simmons mother smiled cooled and raised an eyebrow. 

“Don’t worry. It won’t” Fitz blurted out, and immediately regretted it when he saw the look in both Simmons’ parents’ eyes and how pale Simmons herself went.

“Excuse you?” Simmons’ father arched an eyebrow.

“I said it wouldn’t backfire. Because not only do I not plan on breaking your daughter’s heart any time in the foreseeable future, even if I did, or if she chose to leave me, she is more than smart and strong enough to continue along by herself and continue to do amazing things. And frankly the way you address her considering how well she’s doing is disturbing.” 

“Hah. You’ve hardly known her long enough to make that assessment.” 

“He knows me better than you two do.” 

“We’re you’re parents.” Her moth sounded even colder.

“Yes, and you treat me like a disobedient student, and nothing I do is ever good enough, and the way you write off the fact that I have a fully diagnosed and very legitimate psychological disorder is horrifying! You are my parents and I love you, and I like to think you love me, but honestly, you’re both mean.” Her voice was even tighter, and Fitz could feel the tension in her back and her breath was drawing dangerously close to hyperventilation. 

“Jem, love, you’re going to have a panic attack if we don’t leave soon.” He leaned in and whispered, trying to keep his voice low enough to not be heard by her parents. “Come on, princess, let’s go, you don’t have to do this.”

“Princess?” her mother snorted. “How perfectly juvenile and demeaning.”

“Mother. Shut up. I asked you to be polite today, because today is about me, it’s my graduation, and I just wanted my parents to be proud of me and be nice to my boyfriend who is also the best friend I’ve ever had, regardless of your many attempts to convince me people are useless. I happen to like Leo’s silly nicknames, they make me smile. And so since you’ve failed to be polite just this one day, Leo and I are going to leave. Right now. Good bye.” She grabbed Fitz’s hand and dragged him away. He jogged to keep up with her, and once they were out of sight, dragged her head into his chest. 

“Hey. Hey, Jemma, baby girl, calm down. I’s alright. You did the right thing.”

“I know but I still feel awful.” 

“Will going back to the car and findin’ a place to stay then eating too much room service and getting’ your present make you feel better?”

“Yes, I think so. Just… getting away from here in and of itself would help.” 

“Well then, tha’ settles it. Let’s go.” 

After a bit of driving, they got a room at a hotel not far away, with a king sized bed, and huddled up against the pillows and ordered as many breakfast foods and desserts as they could afford, as well as a bottle of champagne, to celebrate. After far too many pancakes, an entire tiramisu, and a glass of champagne each, Fitz pulled a neatly wrapped blue box out of his pocket. Simmons took it with a smile and ripped the paper off carefully. Inside was a velvet clamshell box, and with a raised eyebrow, Simmons pried it open. Inside was a silver heart shaped locket, but the metal was inlaid with fabric.

“Leo… Is this?”

“Yeah. It’s my family’s tartan.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “And I had a custom RFID put in, so you can use it to store digital files too. Beautiful and functional, just like you.” 

“Leo, it’s perfect. Really. Your mother’s okay with you,… using the family tartan?”

“Of course she is, Jem. You’re family. Always will be.” He grinned sloppily and Simmons returned his smile in equal measure, leaning over to put her head on his shoulder. 

“Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

“Will you put it on for me?” She held the sides of the chain out and turned around, letting Fitz sweep the hair off her neck and then clasp it, fixing her hair once more. 

“Perfect. Pretty as a picture.” He grinned again.

“Now, what’s say we watch bad sci-fi on pay per view and eat even more cake?”

“That sounds like the best plan I’ve ever heard.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The final chapter! I'm so sorry this took so long, my life was a bit nuts for awhile and I simply didn't have writing in me. I hope the ride was worth it. Writing this story has been an absolute joy, and I'm so glad so many people have loved it. <3

"Ugh, that drive took far longer than it had any right to." Simmons grouched, unfolding herself from the tiny passenger seat of the car she and Fitz had rented for their road trip. 

"That traffic was bloody insane. Dunno why it was so awful but at least we got here." He cracked his neck,. reaching his arms above his head to work out his sore muscles, leaning against the side of the car and waiting for Simmons to finish stretching and join him, so they could make the short walk from the parking lot they'd found to the cafe they'd agreed to met up at. 

The two of them, along with Skye, Ward and Trip, had all arranged for them to be in a small seaside town, not too far from Ward's military school, in order to finally all have a face to face meet up. Simmons had spent the entire drive from Boston fielding texts and pictures from Skye, who was almost overwhelmingly excited about the ordeal. 

"Are you ready?" Simmons asked, glancing up at him and smiling as she moved to his side, one hand moving to touch the necklace that hung from her neck for a moment, before wrapping it in his own hand. 

"As I'll ever be to witness the whirlwind of energy Skye is in person. I wonder if Ward's as weird and reticent in person as he is online. 

"Well, I guess we're about to find out!" she grinned, and they walked down the sidewalk hand in hand, till they reached the crosswalk and made their way to the small cafe. Before they could even properly reach the door, Skye burst out, literally dragging a rather hesitant Ward by the sleeve, and a jovial Trip, who was clearly just playing along for the fun of it, by the wrist. 

"Fitzsimmons!" she said brightly, releasing both men before jumping at them and capturing them in a simultaneous hug. 

"Hello to you too, Skye." Simmons said warmly, giving her friend a squeeze. 

"Hey you two." Trip said with a sloppy grin and a nod, sliding between them to give each of them a simultaneous one armed hug. Ward gave the widest smile they'd both ever seen him managed and clapped them both affectionately on the back. 

In a buzz of easy conversation, the group made their way to the table Skye has snagged them on the outdoor deck of the cafe, looking out on the water. They were there far longer than it actually took them all to eat lunch, sipping on iced tea or beer for a good few hours and talking, content to wile their time away comfortably. But once the sun started to set, everyone had to go their separate ways. Ward had a curfew, and had to be back on campus by a certain time since there were drills the next morning, Skye and Trip had to head back to their hotel and get some sleep before heading back to the west coast early the next morning, and Fitz and Simmons slipped into their car to head back to Boston, glad to have missed rush hour, a midst a shower of hugs and cheek kisses and promises to come out to the west coast for spring break so they could all hang out again. 

It was a quiet drive home, the sun blurring into the ocean in the distance, as Fitz played music softly over the radio and Simmons dozed comfortably in the passenger seat, one hand reaching between them to tuck against Fitz's knee. It was dark when they got home, and Fitz woke Simmons carefully by shaking her shoulder, and she roused with a sleepy smile. 

"Today was a nice day, wasn't it?" she said, her voice still low and quiet with the dust of sleep. 

"Yeah, it was." Fitz smiled warmly, slipping an arm around her waist as they made their way up to their shared apartment. As they stood in the single bathroom, Simmons sitting on the edge of the tub and brushing out her hair while Fitz washed his face, Simmons sighed quietly. 

"It never gets old, does it? Getting to be like this all the time?" She smiled contently and waved a hand between them. She'd grown quite accustomed to the quiet domesticity of living together, and now she could hardly imagine a world where she hadn't woken up tangled with Fitz, listening to the comforting sound of his sleepy breathing.

"Nah, it really doesn't. Wouldn't have it any other way, to be honest." he grinned at her, and she stood up, wiping a fleck of toothpaste from the corner of his mouth before kissing him softly. 

"Shall we get some sleep then?"

"Yeah, I reckon we should." 

Fitz smiled again, wrapping an arm around Simmons and flicking off the bathroom light, heading for their bedroom. Technically it was his, Simmons had her own room, in case they fought or needed to be apart for some reason, but Fitz's windows faced away from the rising sun, so they tended to sleep in his room to avoid being unduly awoken. 

The two of them slid into bed, Simmons' fitting herself easily into Fitz's side, resting her head on his chest so the rhythm of his heart could lull her to sleep. Fitz pressed a sleepy kiss to her forehead. 

"G'night, Jem. Love you."

"I love you too, Leo."

**Author's Note:**

> And here's the first chapter of my fun, lighthearted Youtube AU! This chapter is just sort of an intro, and it's a bit on the short side, but the other chapters so far are longer. I have up to chapter five written already, so this will update once a day! I expect it to be about 8 chapters long! I hope you all enjoy!


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